Right Where I Belong
by Cosmic Sky
Summary: Her place wasn't amongst the living, that was something she'd firmly believed for quite some time. Like many things, that assumption was challenged when Marianne came to the Officers Academy. There, she found more than she was expecting: friends, acceptance, a reason to live, and someone who could understand her darkness. Everything had a place in the world, and she'd found hers.
1. Chapter 1-Heading off into the Unknown

**Hello, everyone, and welcome to another one of my next little story. This is yet another addition to my growing number of Fire Emblem stories, and featuring two of my favorite characters from Three Houses, Dimitri and Marianne! It's a bit of romance and emotionally stress relieving, which makes it a good pick for my hundredth story. Now, without further ado…**

**I do not own anything.**

* * *

_**Right Where I Want to Be**_

_**Chapter 1-Heading off into the Unknown**_

* * *

When Marianne was told that she'd be sent off to the Officers Academy at Garreg Mach Monastery, she made no protest. She rarely protested anything, or to be more precise, she never really protested anything at all. Such a trait was supposedly seen as ideal in a woman, but her adoptive father didn't quite think so, at least in private.

Though they held their tongues, Marianne knew how her adoptive father's servants spoke of her, calling her a doll or freak who preferred animals over people. They weren't exactly wrong as she considered both descriptions rather accurate. In a lot of ways, Marianne knew that she was out of place amongst most people, arguably even…amongst the living. She highly doubted that would change once she got to the Officers Academy, if anything, things would likely only get worse. Strike that, Marianne knew somewhere inside that they would get worse; whatever misfortunes that already plagued the Monastery would only grow worse once she arrived.

Would such a sacred place be a shelter for her? She was doubtful of that, but it couldn't hurt to hope, could it?

Oh, who was she trying to fool?

As word spread of where she was to be sent by the week's end, Marianne noticed a slight change in some of the staff. They were happy to be rid of her; she was sure of it. In all honesty, it wasn't hard to blame them. Ever since her arrival in House Edmund, there'd always been whispers and peas for her to vanish as quietly as she'd came along. Well, they were going to be getting their wish, but perhaps not exactly how they would have liked it. After all, much preparation was going into her move from the Edmund estate to the Officer's Academy. Some were actually rather gleefully for her departure.

And as Marianne learned from the knock on her door one afternoon, not for the reasons she'd originally guessed.

"Lady Marianne, may I come in if it's not too much trouble?"

The voice came as a shock to the blue-haired girl, but the shock quickly and quietly became a pleasant one. As surreal as it was, not everyone loathed her presence or went out of their way to avoid her. For one reason or another, there were some who were…kind, decent to her. Either for her status or for some other reason beyond her understanding, they showed her more generosity than she deserved. Marianne knew she wasn't worthy of it, yet she couldn't stop herself from indulging in it, and retuning it when she could.

"C-Come in." She said in a voice that wasn't too ringed with nervousness. It'd perhaps taken some time, but gradually she'd grown, dare she say it, comfortable with the old servant that entered through the door. Osrick had been a servant of Margrave Edmund for almost thirty-three years and was well-known as one of the Margrave's most trusted vessels, enough so that when he was away, he practically all but left her in his care knowing she'd be in "pristine condition" upon his eventual return. What's more, the salt and pepper-haired man treated her with an immense amount of respect and kindness that Marianne knew she wasn't deserving of. "Y-You don't have to do this for me, Osrick."

"Nonsense." The old gentleman smiled. "Lady Marianne, you're going off to the most prestigious school in the land where better things will await you. Surely you must pack accordingly, and I believe I can help you do just that."

"Again, I think you're overestimating the impact that I'll make there. I'm…I'll stand out too much amongst the other students, and not for positive reasons." She measly defended taking a seat upon her bed and ringing her fingers together, a habit that she'd gained over the years.

As proof of the closeness between them, the secret Crest-bearer didn't jump when the old servant sat beside her on her bed. Again, it was a known fact throughout the household that the old retainer was amongst the closest to the Margrave's daughter; in other words, he was one of the few she could visibly feel any sort of comfortableness around. The Margrave himself had taken notice of this trait and decreed that Osrick was to be given supervision of his adoptive daughter in his absence, or reach her when he felt his direct voice couldn't do so. Which also apparently included consoling her about going to Garreg Mach.

"The Officers Academy has seen quite a flux of odd and extraordinary students, I'm sure that you'll fit right in. Besides, who knows?" A light-hearted jab touched the side of her arm. "For all you know, you may end up finding that special someone. There's no end to young and aspiring knights within the academy's walls, one of which may end up catching your eye."

"Osrick, I don't think that's going to be happening."

"You never know." He quietly shot back, ever the optimism to her pessimism. "Every place you go to, consider it a land of opportunity. Besides, you'll be at Garreg Mach, a sacred place blessed by the goddess herself. If there's any place where I believe good can happen, it's there. Not to mention I hear this year's crop of students could be something special."

"It's not as if this year we'll be a 'century' class." Muttered the bag-egged young woman. The "Century Graduates" were those students who'd graduated from the Monastery at the turn of a century; given Garreg Mach's age, there'd been quite a few, so many that it'd become something of an urban legend. Albeit it wasn't one that everyone took stock in. Marianne certainly didn't, if anything, she believed her presence would be an ill-omen more than anything. "I-I hear that other house heirs will be attending this year."

"Yes, there's a possibility one of them may catch your eye, or you theirs." Osrick commented crossing his arms. He could run down the list of names that he knew right off the top of his head, but something told him it would be better to let Marianne see them all for herself. "The Monastery's a crossroads for all of Fódlan, it brings together the continent's best…and the worst." Naturally, the last bit came out with a reluctant sigh. Marianne had a bit of an idea of who the "worst" were according to her adoptive father's devoted servant. "I trust you'll be able to figure out which is which, but then again, I don't exactly have much right o command you. Only advise you."

She took the advice under consideration, or she seemed to. Ultimately, Marianne doubted it would help her. She doubted that any of what the former warrior had predicted would come to pass. Maybe if it were some other person, but not her. She was one who'd been cursed since birth, bringing misfortune wherever she went; it was stretching it to hope that Garreg Mach Monastery would be different. Would the goddess' blessings be enough to cancel out the darkness that her Crest brought with her? If they were talking the Goddess of Fódlan hen perhaps there was hope. After all, was it not the goddess that had bestowed Crests upon humanity?

Granted, not all the Crests were beneficial, as Marianne could attest.

A hand fell on top her shoulder. Marianne looked up into the kindly old green eyes that had never looked at her with scorn or disdain or disappointment. "Maybe just bit a little optimistic. Word is that that the next leader of the Alliance will be your House leader. Sadly, I don't know that much about him, really no one does, but I have some confidence in him since he's supposedly the heir to the Reigan Household."

"Again, all of this is actually…I don't know how well I'll fit in." Insisted the young woman.

"You'll find your place, everyone does in life, even if it takes some time to do so." Quietly and gentled countered the retired soldier. "Hey, what do you say we get t packing? I know that you don't want to bring much, but it's best to bring the bare basics, don't you think?"

Looking up to the man with a small smile, Marianne nodded then rose along with him. It was true, she didn't plan on taking much to the Monastery, but she knew that she had to bring the basic essentials such as clothes and such, perhaps even she'd bring a few personal items that she felt would be safe enough in the confines of her room. Word of mouth was that the children of some nobles were able to exert enough leverage they could get their children some better accommodations. Marianne believed that her adoptive father could have done that if he wanted to, but likely chose not to for a number of reasons. The most prominent one was that Marianne simply had no use for it; she was a quiet and unassuming soul, such a massive expanse would have hindered her more than helped her.

Not to mention it wasn't like the Margrave was expecting her to be sneaking any young nobles into her room for midnight flings and such. Margrave Edmund had openly joked about such a thing, then added that even if they made it past Marianne, they would have to earn his approval for something more, and the Margrave's approval did not come easily. All in all, Marianne fully expected none of this to come to pass as she wasn't exactly a desirable woman, even with her Crest. In fact, once the knowledge of her Crest got out, Marianne fully expected to be ostracized, even by her fellow Golden Deer Students. How lucky would she be to find anyone such as her adoptive father willing to look past her Crest? And for something other than material gain?

Even after they'd finished packing most of her things, Oswick remained to talk with Marianne, a habit that he'd fallen into after three straight months of attempting to crack her wall. It had succeeded as the reclusive Crest-bearer had let him in. No doubt it was because he could provide the emotional comfort that her adoptive father was not able to. Marianne was grateful that there was at least one person in the household who treated her in such a way. It was one of the things that made her leaving the Edmund Estate a tad more difficult than she would have liked to admit. Oswick knew that and comforted her on it, but also told her that she wasn't the only person she'd ever be close with. He was always the optimism in spite of the personal losses he'd suffered, losses that Marianne had found herself able to sympathize with.

Even if only just a little bit, she wanted to believe in his optimism. Perhaps as she found herself within the goddess' sacred domain, her prayers would be answered. Just maybe.

* * *

Margrave Ransley von Edmund was an extremely perspective man. While he held no seat at the Round Table, he was revered, and even feared, for being able to read it, as well as the economic flow of the country for which he'd been able to earn his fortunes. That also meant he possessed an ability to read people, a skill that made him a man to be weary of and admired and feared.

For Marianne, it simply meant that she had to work harder to hide things from him. Ransley was very aware of that, but most of the time he never truly bothered to inquire into her inner thoughts, at least not when doing so served no purpose to him. He was perfectly content to let her be, something that Marianne was silently grateful for; all he asked was that she at least make the effort to live up to some of his expectations. Surely that was the reason for this sudden call to his office before she led her head to rest for the night. He knew perfectly well that she was to be sent off to the Officers Academy by his command the next day. Yet, he had called her here to have a private discussion with her.

He didn't have what one could call a threatening aura as normally Ransley von Edmund wasn't a threatening man. At least not directly towards her; Marianne had _seen_ her adoptive father let loose his darker side on those who crossed him. Fortunately, she'd never done that, but she'd seen the end results of those who had.

"Now I know you're probably going to want to get as much sleep as you possibly can, but Marianne, I believe we need to discuss a few things beforehand." Declared the Margrave in a quiet yet commanding voice that Marianne was used to hearing. She obediently took her seat before him, his polished wooden desk separating them. "Most of what I've had to say has already been said, but I fee it must be reiterated again so you clearly understand. You are going to the Officers Academy at Garreg Mach, and while there you will be representing the Edmund Name, a name that finally possesses a Crest to call its own." His dark green eyes flashed as he saw the worry in Marianne's eyes, the way she seemingly sunk back into her chair. It caused the goateed man to sigh in partial annoyance and partial exhaustion. It was his faint hope that going to Garreg Mach would make her begin to see her Crest in a better light. After all, a Crest was a Crest, wasn't it?

Marianne always disagreed with her adoptive father on that front, but she could never find the courage to actually say it. Not that she needed to since Ransley could see her discontent written on her face; it was annoying at times and even a tad frustrating, but Ransley refused to ever lose his temper over it. In some ways, he could somewhat understand his adoptive daughter's fears, after all, her own biological parents had chosen to abandon her when her Crest manifested itself. But Ransley wasn't them, he was determined to get some use out of the supposed "Crest of the Beast" that she harbored inside of her; if there was any place that could allow him to do so, it was Garreg Mach Monastery.

Again, Marianne didn't particularly share her stepfather's confidence, but she had little choice in the matter, as she always did. "I-I understand, and I will try my best to…to…to make the most of my time there, sir."

"I expect you to, and I expect you to do more than just spend your time praying." Stated the black-haired Margrave with a sharp look that locked Marianne into place. Her daily prayer was something else he'd taken note of, but said absolutely nothing in regards to. It was an undeniable fact the teenage girl was a devote woman, one who likely had a future in the clergy. While Ransley wasn't exactly against that career path, he believed that Marianne could do more, especially with all that he'd taught her. In fact, he'd sent a considerable amount of time in teaching her in the ways of political science. He knew for a fact that Marianne had absorbed his lessons well; a shy recluse she was, the girl was a good student, which was another reason he thought sending her off to the Officers Academy was the correct choice.

"Y-Yes sir." Came her timid response. "I-I will devote as much as my time possible to my studies." There was a pause that showed she'd fully taken in the weight of his words. It was also so Marianne herself could gather her own thoughts and work up the strength to vocalize them. "Is there…anything in particular you want me to study there?"

At that, Ransley raised an eyebrow in genuine curiosity. "Well, from what I understand, a Crest scholar is at the Monastery, a former Imperial if I remember right. Study under him and see if he can find some more plausible use for your Crest. Being able to talk to animals is all well and good, but as you grow older you must learn how to get more out of it. There are ways that can be done, especially if you bother to learn more about what your Crest can actually do." He had his suspicions as he'd dug into his charge's background, as much as he could anyway. Amongst the dozens of Crests that occasionally appeared, the one possessed by his adoptive daughter had been effectively scrubbed from history. While there might have been reasons for that, until presented with them and shown how much a threat they were, Ransley would push through. Sucking in a breath, he issued his next statement in a crystal-clear tone. "Also, since you will be on official Church grounds and watched over by their officials, I highly doubt you'll run into _him_."

At the mere mention of that someone, Marianne's entire body flinched. Again, Ransley could not blame her. For a hot second, genuine sympathy pushed its way up to the surface; for once, he didn't attempt to fight it.

"If he comes around-"

"I-I'll handle it myself." Spoke the blue-haired woman in a surprisingly forceful tone. It completely caught the goateed man across from her off-guard, all he could do was stare at her in naked shock. Quickly, a twinge of approval shined in his eyes. "O-Or, I-I'll I'll try to."

Regaining himself, Ransley leaned back into his seat. "Again, I highly doubt he'll be able to get close to you at the Monastery. That said, should I hear reports of him harassing you…" Letting the thought drift off, he reached into his desk and pulled out an envelope that he handed to her. "Do not hesitate to have him dealt with."

Ransley von Edmund was not a particularly affectionate man, it wouldn't have been hard to say that he was rather cold at times. Still, he was a man capable of showing compassion, especially to the young woman whom he now called his daughter. Occasionally. In private, when he was sure that this act of familial tenderness wouldn't be made public. All of it was enough to get a smile out of Marianne, who looked to her adoptive father with gratitude then bowed her head.

"I will try my best."

"Good, now, return to bed. You'll need your sleep." Margrave Edmund said leaning back into his chair and lacing his fingers together. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Replied the young Crest-bearer, rising from her seat then giving a bow to her adoptive father. There wasn't a need for an escort, nor was there for anything else. All that had needed to be said had been said. At the very least Marianne was able to return to her room feeling a bit of safety and security. While harassment she was used to, it was the harassment of one man in particular that seemed to incite the greatest reaction from her. No doubt it was because that one man had been hounding her ever since her parents' disappearance. Surely the Monastery would provide some den of refuge, right?

_But what will come of you when your secret is exposed? What then? Surely those at the Monastery will come to loath you just as all the rest have. How long before he has allies, fellow scholars that are agreement with you? _Whispered the insidious voice that was always at the back of her mind as she closed the door to her bedroom, put up the letter, and laid atop the bed. The hollow malice in it caused her to shiver in fear, so much so that Marianne felt like wrapping her arms around herself. _He won't be around to shield you, nor is it an absolute that anyone will be as accepting as him, and it is obvious he is only doing so for personal gain. _

For once, Marianne put more force into silencing the insidious voice as she laid her head down on the pillow. All the candles had been blown out and the curtains pulled up allowing only thin veils of moonlight to pass into her room. What few times Marianne opened her eyes, she tried to focus on that. Eventually, a hidden desire forced her to push away the sheets and swing her feet over the bed. Taking several small steps, she found herself standing before the curtain, which she gently pushed aside. Through her glass window, high above the reach of mortals was the glittering moon.

Marianne could look up to the celestial lantern and still recall in perfect detail the first night that her parents had left her, how she had cried such endless tears with no one to avail them. With teary eyes, she looked up to the moon and prayed that its light would illuminate the path that would lead her back to the two people she cared about most. In time, that desire had faded as Marianne began to quietly realize that such loneness was to be her fate and it was useless to fight it. Instead, she began to pray for something else, something different.

Placing a hand against the glass, Marianne pondered if those prayers would be answered if done so from Garreg Mach Monastery. What would the Monastery look like bathed in the sorrowful glow of the moon at night? Would she find any safe refuge beneath the moonlight as she had occasionally here at her adoptive father's estate? Once again, there were so many questions swirling about in her head that she felt any second she'd lose strength and topple to the floor.

Before that happened, Marianne moved back over to the bed. The blinds remained open, perhaps for the best. Laying her head against the pillow, she prayed for a dreamless sleep to find her. Thankfully, her prayers were answered. In the abyss of sleep, she felt like peace could always be found, much more than it could in the waking world.

It was her deepest wish that one day, she would be able to enter the eternal abyss that offered eternal peace.

And perhaps even a reunion with her parents, whom she feared had long since left this world after leaving her.

* * *

Just as her adoptive father had said, it'd taken some time for her to reach Garreg Mach Monastery, and as he'd predicted, she wasn't alone. On the carriage ride across Leicester Alliance territory into the Ohgma Mountains, her entourage had encountered several others. "The Migration" as she'd heard some call it; given the paths and routes taken to reach the Monastery were somewhat common, it wasn't a surprise that traveling groups formed, especially if they had similar destinations. Then there was the old saying of safety in numbers. A single noble envoy alone was an easy target, but a middle to large grouping, some carrying armed protection? Only the bravest or most suicidal of bandit would make any sort of attempts.

Sadly, in the long history of the land, some had been bold enough to try. The results had never been particularly pleasant. Marianne quietly prayed that such a travesty didn't befall her group, that her Crest's curse of misfortune didn't flare up and potentially harm so many.

Her prayers were answered as for the three-and-a-half-day trip, things were peaceful.

She avoided contact with others save for her adoptive father's servants, or those who were willing to interact with her. It went without saying that Marianne tried to make herself as scarce as possible, spending most of her time either in her carriage or off in the nearby winds. At the very least, leaving the Monastery provided her the chance to meet some new animals, creatures that she hadn't seen before. As with those at her adoptive father's estate, Marianne found them to be quite good for conversation and companionship. Conversing with them helped to put her mind at ease until the journey started back up.

And eventually reached its end.

Admittedly, she was a tad stunned by the vastness of Garreg Mach Monastery. There was word of mouth and depictions in books, and then there was the real thing. Standing before the gates, Marianne couldn't help but admit to how small and insignificant she felt standing before the centuries-old stone walls. Then there came the time she stepped past them, into the Monastery as a student of the Officers Academy.

What was she doing there?

She was by far and away the oddest addition to the Golden Deer: the mysterious Alliance heir, Claude, noble Lorenz, lazy but surprisingly capable Hilda, adventurous and bold Leonie, the child prodigy, Lysithea, gluttonous but kind Raphael, and book-smart Ignatz. Their class was headed by the famed "Father of Crestology", Professor Hanneman von Essar. A genius in the fields of magic and Crests.

But all of that amounted to very little in the face of the Blue Lions, lead by the Academy's newest and most talked-about professor, Byleth Eisner, the Ashen Demon.

The mock battle had started out well enough, but all too soon did it become clear that the Blue Lions were on the path to victory. Ringing through the forest was the sound of battle, even if it was all no more than a mock battle. Marianne had to keep from jumping as every second, her ears registered the sound and metal clanging against each other. The battle was in full swing, and it was raging with all the intensity of a real clash between armed forces. Fittingly, it left her absolutely terrified. What was she doing here? Why was she trudging through the forest, goddess knows where? Holding a practice spear she had next to no idea how to use, or even willpower to use?

A resounding explosion rocked the earth beneath her feet; Marianne felt her heart hammer against her chest. This was growing a tad more intense than a mock battle was supposed to be. Or was this how a _usual _mock battle went? If so, Marianne truly shuddered to think what a live battle would be like, with genuinely sharpened weapons and magical attacks being thrown with the intent to kill and maim. Some uncomfortable feeling in her gut told her that before long, she'd find herself on that battlefield, and it wouldn't be a pleasant experience, but as this mock battle wasn't proving to be a pleasant experience for her.

_Boom! _

And it just got worse.

The blue-haired girl nearly dropped her practice lance as the batch of forest bushes around her exploded and a obscured figure came rolling across her. It took Marianne a second to realize who it was, Raphael, his practice gauntlets lying smashed to pieces and the skin beneath red from pain. He groaned, signifying that he was still alive.

Unfortunately, the cause of his agony stepped into view of Marianne.

"My, my, what do we have here? A deer that got lost from the rest of the horde? Not that it'll matter in the long run." Stated the retainer of the future Adrestian Emperor in a positively cold and amused voice. Behind him stood three Black Eagles students who eyed her like wolves who'd just stumbled upon their prey. Said prey went still with fear causing the black-haired retainer to cackle in dark glee. "Worry not, merely drop your lance and forfeit the battle. You will not be harmed. Now then, I'll be taking my leave, Lady Edelgard's safety, even in this mock battle takes urgency." Spinning on his heel, Hubert began to walk away, the scent of death leaving with him, or at least that's how it appeared to Marianne.

The three students who'd come in after him weren't as eager to follow his lead. They all continued to look to the Margrave's daughter as if she were a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. And she was.

"You heard Hubert," one of them, a redhead, said with a cock grin. "Drop the lance and you're free to go."

Doing as he said would have been the wise thing, the smart thing, but Marianne's mind flashed to the "war council" that Claude had held before the battle got under way.

"_Alright, everyone, this is the first battle of the year and a chance for us to show the other houses what we can do. That means no more than ten bruises on yourself and take down at least one enemy with you before you get knocked out!" _He'd said with a smile that gleamed like the sun. Almost immediately, Lorenz called him out on how lackluster the "speech" was and how unbefitting it was. Still, it was enough to get Raphael, Leonie, Lysithea, and even Ignatz motivated.

And it had done the same to Marianne as well. "N-No. I-I won't." She spoke in a timid voice as she spaced her feet apart and held her lance in a fighting position. A month of classes and she'd learned something. Truthfully, she felt more comfortable with a lance than she did any other weapon.

Given her enemies were already preparing to cast magic, it wouldn't do her much good. She'd go down before she could even take a fear-ridden step forward.

"Have it your way." Chuckled the redhead holding out his hands, where a fireball had manifested. His target was Marianne's feet, but the sheer force he was putting in would no doubt be enough to throw her on her backside and leave her in pain for the rest of the afternoon. Her dignity would be what required some time to heal.

"Hold! Surely I can provide you a better challenge than this young woman here." Called another masculine voice that caused the four to turn in unison to the approaching figure.

In a heartbeat, he was recognized and the Adrestian students changed their target from Marianne to the newcomer.

He moved like lightning, his blue shoulder-cape bellowing as he dashed toward the aggressors. Unlike Marianne's, his practice lance was used quite effectively, deflecting magical fireballs then slamming into exposed bodies and iron swords. Once more, her ears rung as active combat unfolded before her shadowed eyes, which were wide with shock. The newcomer was without a doubt the best fighter that she had seen, moving with such refined grace and skill that Marianne could hardly believe it seemed surreal. His lancework had no wasted movements, rather he was in the midst of a fast attack or sliding into a defensive parry. The Black Eagles students were helpless as they fell until only one, the redhead remained. Panicked, he fell back, arcs of lightning cackling in-between his hands.

Then his eyes swerved to Marianne.

"You wanna play the knight, fine!" He shouted, firing off a bolt of lightning in Marianne's direction.

Blue eyes widened in alarm as the bolt sped through the air towards the daughter of Margrave Edmund. Instinct took over leading him to twist his body around, his lance sliding in his grasp thus extending its reach. It was just enough to deflect the lightning bolt, albeit the wood wasn't able to hold together and fittingly splintered into pieces.

"Hah! What are you going to do without your lance?" Barked the student, now having regained a bit of confidence. "Now you're-"

"Sufficiently annoyed!" Barked the blond, dashing forward like a lion on the hunt. A fist was pulled back, then launched forward directly into the opposing student's gut. The air left him, his eyes rolled back as he flew across the ground, rolling along it just as Marianne's unconscious classmate had. He came up in a curled up position, clenching his gut and muttering about how he should have followed Hubert's lead. The blond stood up, a sigh escaping him as he regained control of himself. "Excuse me, are you alright?"

"W-Who, me?" Marianne said. It was amazing how her legs hadn't given out yet in spite of the spectacle that had just unfolded in front of her. It was practically more "action" than she'd seen in all her life, and again, this was only a mock battle! Shaking herself free of her confusion, she looked over the newcomer. "Y-Yes, I-I am. Are you…" Her eyes drifted to the blue shoulder cape, which was a dead giveaway as to who this young warrior was. Briefly, her eyes drifted to Raphael, who was beginning to stir. Marianne's mind quickly arrived to a conclusion. "I-If I give you my lance, will you leave us alone? Neither of us can fight any longer, a-a-and I believe if you plan on continuing the fight, y-you'll need a weapon. K-Knights of Faerghus are skilled in lances, are they not?"

He gave a brief but jubilant laugh that caused an odd stir in Marianne's gut. "That we are. Rest assured, I have no intention of attacking those who cannot defend themselves." He stepped forward and accepted her outstretched lance. "Thank you for this."

"Y-You're welcome, P-Prince Dimitri." She squeaked out. As soon as he took the lance, she stepped aside and moved to Raphael, who was groaning as he sat up.

"Uh, I take it I lost?" Summarized the Golden Deer's strongman as Marianne took his massive arms into hers and began to heal him. "Marianne?"

"I-It's alright. It's…alright." She said. Her once racing heart was calming, her anxiety was fading, and dare she said it, a sense of calmness was spreading over her. "I think we're out of the match."

"Eh, we gave it a good shot. Seems like you did, knocking out those three guys." Stated the aspiring knight looking around at the collection of Black Eagle Students who'd gained up on them. "Woah, Marianne, I had no idea you were that-"

"It wasn't me." She admitted causing his attention to turn to her. "Um…well, Prince Dimitri came and…well, he saved me. Then I gave him my lance." The Crest-bearer braced herself for the torrent of outrage that was sure to follow.

"Really? That was nice of him! Guess that's one that we owe him, huh?" Laughed the gluttonous brawler, ignoring the residual pain in his arms. Thanks to his blue-haired teammate, it was fading fast.

What was also fading, even if only by a small margin, was the flower of dread that had taken root inside of her. Its roots had spread throughout her soul, anchoring themselves deeply into her where Marianne believed they would remain.

But now, as the mock battle between the Houses gradually drew to a close, Marianne felt that somehow…that flower's hold wasn't airtight. She couldn't explain why, but she could certainly feel…something, something a tad bit different. Something that was almost positive.

As she healed the injuries of her housemate, Marianne sent up a prayer of thanks to the goddess.

* * *

Ultimately, the Blue Lions were victorious, doubtlessly on account of their new professor who'd masterminded their battle strategy. Said strategy had involved taking one of his own to hold off the Black Eagles while sending another detachment headed by the crown prince himself to attack from the side. It explained how he'd crossed paths with Marianne. As she later learned, he ran smack dab into the dark sorcerer of the Black Eagles. And apparently, he'd done what Marianne could not with her lance. She wasn't surprised at all.

But what shocked her the most was that she was…happy. Unmistakably she was sadden that her house had failed to clench victory, but she was accepting, perhaps a little more than that, of the boy who'd saved her being on the winning side. Of course, she didn't verbalize any of that.

Only one person had any inkling of the thoughts running through her. Luckily for Marianne, Raphael's heart was as big as his appetite. Several times at dinner, she caught him winking at her. Surprisingly, she was able to smile back at him. He was telling her that what had happened would stay a secret between them. It helped that ultimately, Raphael had been in a bit of a daze for most of it when Dimitri was on his way to departing. Marianne wasn't sure what kind of strange luck that was, but she was willing to take it.

What she was also willing to take were several secretive glances at the Blue Lions as they enjoyed their victory fest. From the noise they were generating, you wouldn't expect there were a class of blue-blooded nobility and royalty, but Marianne supposed they were fully entitled to it. Ultimately, what made her happy was seeing the jubilant expression on the house's leader.

As luck would have it, his blue eyes found hers when they began to wonder. Marianne felt her cheeks flash up then quickly turned her attention back to her own plate. She prayed that this was the limit of the day's festivities; she wasn't quite sure how much more of it she could take.

Yet again, the goddess chose not to answer her plea with what she wanted, but with something else entirely.

"Smitten already, are you?"

Marianne nearly jumped out of her skin hearing the catty voice of her pink-haired housemate. Sure enough, Hilda was standing right behind her, her plate cleaned off as neatly as one would have expected of a child of a noble and ready to be turned in. "W-What?"

Hilda leaned in closer, no doubt to ensure her voice wasn't heard by those passing beside them to turn in their plates and silverware. "I'm talking about those looks you kept on shooting the prince. Hm, I'm gonna guess someone's got a crush, don't they?"

Shivering, the blue-haired girl nearly dropped her plate in fright. "I-I don't know what you are talking about, H-Hilda." Once more, her voice was less than a whisper.

That didn't mean that it couldn't be heard. Her words amused the pink-haired axe-user, who reached out with one hand and placed it on Marianne's shoulder. "Hey, hey, I know how to keep a secret. Plus, I'll do the noble thing and keep my hands off the prince. Or rather I'll try. I hear Faerghus men are known for being quite chivalrous so you never know. Tell me, did you see any of that?"

Had she been a tad bolder, or more like her adoptive father, she'd have shot back that Hilda should have known the answer to that question. After all, Claude had dragged her onto the frontlines thus putting her in confrontation with some of the Blue Lions students. Sadly, only Marianne could do was hold her plate to her chest like some sort of memento and stare down at the floor.

Taking the hint, Hilda chose to end things there, but not before getting one less word in. "Hey, you could do more to open up a little bit, even with guys from outside of our class. Besides, I heard some rumors that you're good with animals, Faerghus folk love their knighthood so they have to be good with horses, right? Sounds like a great ice-breaker to me." Offered the Gonreil noblewoman with a wink and a smile that made Marianne truly take her words to heart.

"H-Hilda," She began causing the pig-tailed girl to spin around to face her. "I'm…sorry that I wasn't of more help at the mock battle today."

"Hey, don't worry about it. It was just a battle, not to mention I walked away with none too many bruises. Plus, I'll admit…I…had a little fun during the fight." She admitted with a sheepish smile that caused Marianne herself to mirror her expression. "When I came to the academy, I seriously wondered how much fun I'd be able to have in this place. As these last few weeks, hell, the month, has shown, I'm thinking it might be better than I could have expected. Hey, you never know!"

_Better than…expected. _Marianne mused in her mind as she deposited the utensils and thanked the chefs. Once she got back to her room, she'd pray in thanks to the goddess, and maybe pray for the strength to go thank the blonde-haired prince herself. While it would have been normal for her to silently continue on without acknowledging the incident, Margrave Edmund had taught her to do more, especially when it came to other nobility and _especially _royalty. She could practically hear her father demanding she make some sort of formal show of gratitude to the future ruler of the Faerghus throne. Marianne could listen to the voice because deep down, a part of her _wanted _to do so.

And once again, the goddess answered her prayer in an…unexpected way.

"Miss, miss!" Came a familiar voice as she exited the dining hall. Marianne felt her heart quicken as she turned on her heel. Fast approaching her was the leader of the Blue Lions. "Pardon me if I seem a bit…intrusive, but I wanted to make sure that you were alright."

"I-I am, Prince Dimitri." It honestly surprised her how easily the words slipped out of her mouth. "I-I…" Acting on reflex, she laced her hands together and bowed at him. "I must thank you for rescuing me during the mock battle."

"Oh, it was nothing. I merely acted as anyone man of Faerghus in my position should have." He answered with a warm smile. "If it's not too much trouble, I don't believe that I've heard your name before."

All that her adoptive father had attempted to drill into her came rushing back into her mind, some of it too much to process. "M-Marianne, Marianne von Edmund, adoptive daughter of Margrave Edmund of the Leicester Alliance. It is an honor to meet you, Prince Dimitri."

"Just Dimitri is fine. You don't ever have to be so formal with me, in fact, I'd actually prefer it if you weren't so." He'd seemingly been expecting her confused gaze.

But in that confusion, a sprinkle of relief was found. "I-I see, D-Dimitri. I…I…goodnight!" Quickly, she turned to leave, but stopped not five steps from the royal heir. A sudden surge of courage rose within her and empowered her. "I-I promise that I shall pay you back for rescuing me!" Marianne shouted, then continued on her original path, cheeks inflamed and heart racing.

Standing where he was, Dimitri watched her leave, not quite sure what he should be feeling or thinking. He could certainly say that the now identified student had caught his eye. When she introduced herself, he recognized her surname; Margrave Edmund was one of the most prominent voices in the Leicester Alliance, a rising star he'd heard some say. He'd also heard there had been some attempts to stifle that rising as was common in Alliance territory.

"I believe that was the first time that I'd ever heard her speak." Sounded his ever loyal retainer, choosing that moment to make himself known. Silently, he watched the exchange from the sidelines; Dedue quickly recognized what was happening was a private moment and chose to remain in the shadows until needed. Unlike his lord, he had a minor idea of what had just occurred. Like the margrave's daughter, he too wasn't exactly the social type and found communication difficult.

"She's always been that quiet?" Dimitri asked in genuine surprise.

"Yes, I believe she does that to ensure she isn't noticed. Not all who come to the Monastery wish to do so, I believe she is one such person." There was a pause as Dedue shuffled his feet. While he wasn't exactly a social animal, he wouldn't go as far as to say he was socially lacking, not to mention he knew how deeply his lord wished to interact with others as equals, something he was incapable of doing. "All of that said, I believe you can do your part to make her feel welcomed here at the Monastery, even if she is from a different house. There is a possibility that one day she will inherit her father's title thus become a major figure in the Alliance you will have to interact with her."

The prince regarded his retainer and crossed his arms. "That's true, but before that…suppose I could get to know her as a friend as well."

Briefly, there was an upward curve of the Duscur native's lips. "Yes, that too. I do believe interaction isn't limited entirely to houses."

With that, the lord and retainer of the Blue Lions decided to depart for the night. While they had won a victory this day, it was only one, and they still had the rest of the year ahead of them. Not to mention class the next morning. Professor Byleth had made it clear that while he wanted them all to enjoy themselves, they had best remember that they had class in the morning. And that while they had given a good performance, they were far from what they could be.

Having a demon for a professor was going to be both fun and challenging.

* * *

Marianne felt like she couldn't get back to her room fast enough. As she usually did, she closed the door and let her head fall against the door as she calmed herself. "He wants me to just call him by his name." She muttered, remembering the brief but surprisingly meaningful conversation that she and the prince of Faerghus had. It wasn't like she didn't know who he was or that he'd be attending school with her, it had been something that her adoptive father had reminded her of several time, that this year's crop of students would be an "interesting" lot. From what she'd seen so far, the words were coming true.

Walking over to her bed, she sat down on the edge, a common habit of hers. It was practically the first thing that she did whenever she returned to her room, a private sanctuary of her own. She thought of the promise that she had made to him, a spur of the moment response brought about by her adoptive father's teachings more than anything. He'd also drilled it into her head to repay favors when it came to the elite, which the prince certainly was. The question was in what way could a person like her possibly repay someone like Prince Dimitri? She couldn't let the issue set, yet she knew directly interacting with him would be…difficult to say the least. A small part of her wanted to just give up and let that be the end of it.

She didn't know what to do other than pray for an answer. The future still seemed so horrendously unknown and frightening for her. As she felt the darkness of it creeping on her, the words of her housemate echoed in her ear, _"I'm thinking it might be better than I could have expected." _A voice in her head reminded her that she wasn't there for excitement like Hilda, she didn't even want to be at the Monastery for any reason other than her prayer to be answered.

But she was there, she'd spent a solid month and had gone to classes with her housemates, sat with them, ate with them, and even fought with them. She'd done all of that already.

Would it be so hard to go the rest of the way? Could she go the rest of the way? Did she have a right to go forward?

Something told Marianne that the only way she'd get an answer was by continuing to stumble along, just as she'd done all month long. Maybe there was an answer waiting for her at the end of this, maybe there wasn't.

The only way to find out was to wait and see, or more accurately, pick herself up and live through each day, painful as it might have been.

* * *

**And this marks my hundredth story, which I'll be honest I wasn't expecting it to be a Fire Emblem one. Starting from Path of Radiance to here at Three Houses, that's been my FE journey, and one I'm rather happy with. On my first playthrough I loved Dimitri and Marianne's respective journeys, and their supports and possibly love story. For those of you who've read my M! Byleth/Catherine story, "What's Worth Fighting For", this story is going to be pretty similar in chronicling the major points in the Azure Moon route through Marianne and occasionally Dimitri's eyes as they fall in love. I'm definitely looking forward to writing Dimitri's boar phase, but starting at their school days certainly has its own appeal. I also wanna take a crack at writing the lives of the some of the cast outside of what the game showed or may have only alluded to.**


	2. Chapter 2-A Chosen Weapon

**Greetings, everyone. I don't think it needs to be said that things have taken a very dramatic change since the first chapter of this little story was published. As this story's theme is hurt and comfort, suppose it's the sort of thing that one could use right about now. Hope you all enjoy. **

**I do not own anything.**

* * *

_**Chapter 2-A Chosen Weapon**_

A warm breeze flowed into Marianne's room from the open window. She'd taken Hilda's advice and left the window open so she could catch a few whiffs of the spring air that was no doubt on its way to the Monastery. In truth, Marianne had done such a thing a few times during her time at the Edmund estate. She was amongst the many that found spring the preferable season, the best time of the year. It was when life came out of hiding for the winter and was able to flourish. Marianne didn't quite count herself amongst that grouping for obvious reasons, but she still found it in herself to enjoy the warming weather, especially after a harsh winter.

Peeking out the window, she saw that the sun had begun a steady rise above the horizon, little more than half of it being out. By her estimate, life at the Monastery would begin to start up in about half an hour or so. As she looked out of her window to the outside, she realized that if she wanted to do anything, she'd have to do it fast.

The mere fact that she was pondering going out into the open; it was just one of the many subtle changes that she'd undergone since coming to the Monastery.

While she still saw her room as her one true sanctuary, that didn't mean that she hadn't found other places in the Monastery to feel at peace by. Naturally, the stables had become a favorite spot of her, as had the monastery's greenhouse. Against all odds, against her fears, she'd found some precious things to treasure at the Monastery. And dare she say it, precious _people_, or at least Marianne wanted to believe that she had. Most of them were probably still fast asleep in their beds; with a slight smile, she pictured Hilda and Raphael making sure to get in as much sleep time as they could. She didn't have to worry about running into either of them, nor any of her other housemates meaning she'd be all by herself.

Quietly, she began to get dressed. In the long run, it was beneficial as in almost an hour, she'd have to dress herself and be ready for the school day anyway.

Marianne couldn't read the weather, but based on the warm breeze that blew past as her as she stepped out the door, it was going to be a pleasant day. She hoped for that at least. Casting cautionary look around, she began to make her way towards the greenhouse where her planted flowers lay. It was an unexpected treat that the Monastery allowed students to plant their own seeds, and in some cases create their own little gardens. Back at her adoptive father's home, she'd grown a little garden of her own, and had found the time to do so here at the Monastery. What she was growing in question; however, weren't just mere flowers.

Fruits and vegetables were a favorite of hers'. It taken her several weeks to learn how to grow them properly, and figure out which animals preferred which foods. Two months at the Monastery had been enough time for her to figure out the preferred diet of her animal charges, and find something for herself to grow. It could even contribute a little to the meals that was shared between her and the rest of her housemates.

The Monastery was an eerie yet tranquil place in the early hours of the morning. It was similar yet different from night. With dawn already on its way, an eerie yet beautiful light spread across the stone walls and pavement. Darkness was fading and light was moving in, yet Marianne felt like that put an extra spring in her step. She was not deserving to be one who basked in the light like so many others, including her classmates. A voice in her head told her to get in quick, and if not that, stick to the shadows where she belonged. Surely refuge would be found in the greenhouse, where she'd be alone with her thoughts and anxieties.

Her wish was not answered.

"M-Marianne?" Questioned the blonde-haired prince of Faerghus, who stood before her at the doorway to the greenhouse.

She blinked several times. "P-P-Prince Dimitri? W-What are…are…you…" Desperately, she combed through her mind for any sort of response, specifically one that would keep him at a distance, and keep her from tripping up. "Um, m-morning practice?" She spit out after grasping onto the first thing that came to her mind.

Surprisingly, he gave a somewhat humorous laugh. "Not quite. The head gardener had some business to conduct outside of the Monastery so before she left, she gave me the keys to open up the greenhouse. If you came to enter, please give me a moment to open it up for you. You came to do some planting, didn't you?"

"Y-Yes. I-I'll come back at another time." She squeaked out, a cold fist wrapping around her heart.

"No, no, it's fine. Just give me a second." Quickly, he began fiddling with the keys, finding the correct one and turning the lock. "Come in, if you want, I can help you with some planting. I don't have much of a green thumb, but I've been learning from Dedue and Professor Eisner."

That last bit caught Marianne's attention, though she wasn't quite sure why that was. "P-Professor Eisner knows about garden?"

"Yes, quite surprising if I may say so. Then again, he told me that he picked up a thing or two for what he called practical purposes. Specifically learning how to grow herbs and such." There was a light laugh from the prince as they stepped inside of the greenhouse, early morning sunlight flooding through the glass windows and such. Dimitri stopped and marveled at the serene beauty around him, as did Marianne, whose lips curved upward into a genuine smile. Quietly, the prince took note of it, recognizing it to be as bright and bountiful as the sunlight flowing into the room; he almost hated himself for speaking and running the tranquil mood. "Is there…anything in particular you wanted to plant, Marianne?"

"O-Oh, j-just some s-s-seeds, some of which can sprout into food for the animals to eat." She answered doing all she could to avoid her gaze.

"Animals," he mused which caused a nervous flutter to run through the blue-haired girl. "I've noticed that you've been hanging around the stables, even managing to handle the fiercest of wyverns with great ease. You're probably the most adapt animal whisperer that I've ever seen. Heh, I know some folks back in Faerghus that could learn a thing or two from you."

Heat rushed into Marianne's cheeks at his words. _H-H-He's been watching me? H-He's….complimenting me? _Her own self-doubt jabbered at her, yet she felt something jabbering back. The tension in her flowed in and ebbed out, one after the other leaving her in a state of limbo. In spite of it, Marianne found it in her to speak. "I-I-In Faerghus, t-they have an abundant amount of horses and pegasuses, don't they? Have you…ever ridden one before? A-A horse I mean."

He looked to her with a warm smile that made her heart flutter as well as ache. "As a matter of fact, I have, several times to be exact." Secretly, she was grateful that he didn't respond to her question with biting sarcasm. Only after she'd spoken it did she realize how utterly stupid it was, asking if the prince of a nation of knights had ever written a horse. It was like asking a mage if he'd ever cast a spell. "I've actually had a bit of a buried dream to become a great horseman, much like my…well…like my mother was. Did either of your parents have ways with animals such as what you have?"

As the conversation moved towards family, the icy grip on her chest grew stronger. Her head bowed, her eyes grew heavy with sorrow.

Dimitri saw it and quickly realized he'd stepped over whatever invisible boundary surrounded Marianne. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry into your past such as that. I'll take my leave of you and leave you to what you came for."

She should have just let him leave and had that be the end of it, that's what the logically side of her brain was telling her to do. Normally, Marianne would have listened to it, but another voice chirped up. It seized her vocal cords and spoke for her. "I-I-It's alright! Y-You came to plant some seeds as well so…l-let's plant them together, a-at least while you're here." Again, a part of her wanted to slap herself and demand to know where such words had come from. This had been happening a great deal as of late, her control slipping and her mouth uttering words that were better left confined to her mind, if not best left not thought up at all. Quickly, the voice was silenced as she saw a genuine smile spread along his face. Marianne couldn't help but feel her heart flutter just a little bit in seeing it.

"Thank you." Spoke the prince with genuine generosity in his voice.

She asked him if he was planting any seeds for himself or his house members, it turned out he was. He even told her a little bit about each of them. First there was his retainer, Dedue. Marianne had caught several glimpses of the Duscur man, the "Giant of Duscur" as she'd heard some call him, and usually not as a compliment. She took Dimitri's word in that he was a kind and gentle soul, that was something that Marianne could believe. Being around Hilda had caused her to take a page out of her book and be a bit more watchful of those around her. Doubly since she'd heard word that at some point in the future there'd be _another _battle between the three houses.

Sylvain was apparently something of an inverted version of her own house's Lorenz. Marianne was actually somewhat grateful that they weren't in the same house as she wasn't sure how she would have been able to handle his attempts to seduce her. The blue-haired woman could count on one hand the number of times that anyone had ever made advances on her, and even those had been half-hearted and didn't ultimately amount to anything. Not to mention those attempts had more than likely been set up by her adoptive father. In stark contrast to the flirt was the Blue Lion's resident swordsman.

"H-He doesn't seem to respect you too much." Marianne cursed herself for letting that little detail slip out.

Again, Dimitri didn't seem all that detoured by it. All he gave was a somewhat humorous laugh like she'd just told a joke. "It's not so much a matter of respect, more…like…let's say that Felix's grievances against me are perfectly validated."

Immediately, she knew better than to press the prince on more information; the most telling reason was Marianne wanted to respect his privacy. She couldn't place her finger on it, but she could feel an odd sense of sympathy and understanding. Recalling yet another face from the Blue Lions, she asked about the lance-wielding blonde girl that she often saw in tandem with Sylvain, often pulling him by the ear or making an "apology run" as she'd heard some call it. Dimitri's eyes lit up, replacing the distant sorrow in his eyes when speaking of the swordsman. From what she gathered, Ingrid was a masterful horseman, or just rider in period as Dimitri recounted to her how on one outing, she managed to tame and ride a wyvern. Marianne herself was deeply impressed hearing the story.

"If anything, I'd say you two might make for good friends." Spoke the male blond looking to her with sparkling blue eyes. "Both of you are quite skilled with animals, not to mention a lance-"

"That's wrong." Automatically responded the Alliance native. "I-I…I…I'm nowhere near as skilled with a lance as Ingrid, or any of you from Faerghus, or just skilled with a weapon period." Glancing down at her dirt-covered hands, she tried to picture them holding a weapon and being used to defeat enemies. Not so surprisingly, she couldn't; in fact, in the two months since the school year had begun, she'd made about as much progress with as a turtle had in a crossing a desert. "I…I…"

"Marianne," Dimitri began catching her attention. Yet again, there was that gentle tone, soft as the coming spring winds that put her racing heart at ease, if only just a little. "Not to be able to hold a weapon, to not want to…that is nothing to be ashamed about. To have a distaste for violence and hurting and killing others…that actually makes you an extremely noble person."

Looking to him, she saw a mixture of sympathy and longing and regret written over his face. Marianne felt a strange attraction to it. Pushing the feeling back, she went back to the seed planting. "When you all went to Zanado almost two weeks ago…was that…the first time that any of you had…"

He shook his head, his expression one of melancholy. "For most of us…no."

"I see…I'm…not surprised." There was a brief pause as she mulled over her words. "I'm sorry, that was out of line for me to say."

"No, you have nothing to apologize for. Heh, in fact, some would laugh at the statement, even boast of it. In Faerghus, we are something of what you'd call a warrior society, we're taught how to wield a weapon before learning how to read or write. We take our warrior pride quite seriously, perhaps a tad too seriously." Now the pause was on his end. Marianne watched as his eyes grew even heavier with sorrow. Again, Marianne felt that sympathetic pull towards him before she jerked it back. "No, perhaps we take it too seriously."

"…Then…that must mean that you all get hurt quite a bit." It was the best statement that could be delivered, or that's what she hoped for.

"We do, something that Professor Eisner pointed out." There was the fondness in his voice that she'd heard, especially in regards to the Blue Lions students. It was a bit of a marked contrast to some of the whispers directed towards the Black Eagles and Golden Deer's instructors, not that Marianne had any ill will against Professor Hanneman. "He told us that we're all as sharp as spears…but that was it, that we had no alternate strategies and that if not a frontal assault we were low on options and tactics."

"You sound surprisingly happy to have been lectured like that." Marianne noted, a small smile slowly beginning to grow on her face.

"Well, I actually agreed with him. To be rather blunt, we Blue Lions are the strongest of the Three Houses, but that is only on topics of physical strength and weapons ability." Noted the lance-user with a whimsical smile. This attitude he was projecting, Marianne could feel that it was in no way false, it was all genuine. That just made it all the more stunning. Few nobles, let alone princes, would admit to such a thing. "The Professor is right, we are a very blunt house, albeit I don't think that bluntness is all that bad. He also noted how we can be fast and resistant to damage, that we had potential, it just needed to be refined and brought out."

"Would you say that Professor Eisner is doing that?" Marianne asked.

"Yes, I would say so up to this point." Answered the blue-caped teenager before turning his attention back to the planted seeds. "I believe that's all of them. Marianne, thank you for allowing me to spend this time with you."

"Y-You shouldn't be t-t-thanking me, a-and besides, you opened up the greenhouse so we could actually do this." With a shocking amount of sturdiness in her legs, she rose and bowed her head in gratitude. "T-Thank you for t-t-the time spent together."

"It was my pleasure, Marianne." Dimitri said. "Let me get some towels for us, it's the least I can do."

Quietly, the pious woman checked up another supposed rumor as being true, that Faerghus men were chivalrous and gentlemanly. She'd just spent the last several minutes conversing with a prime example of one, perhaps the best example to be had. Then again, it was entirely possible that it was just Dimitri being Dimitri. They hadn't interacted too much since the beginning of the school year almost two months ago, but Marianne had kept an ear to the ground when news of him made its way about; she had no idea why. Perhaps during the mock battle had left a bigger impression on her than she was willing to admit.

Marianne made sure to keep a bit of distance from Dimitri as they washed their hands. She felt like she'd done too much, lingered too long around someone as important as Dimitri. Surely her curse would trigger some sort of ill omen that would affect him.

Upon stepping out of the greenhouse, she pondered if that bad luck would extend to another, the prince's right-hand man.

"Dedue," Dimitri began sounding a mix of annoyed and happy to see his dark-skinned retainer. "Let me guess, five, six minutes?"

As usual, the Duscur-native as stoic as ever. "Once I deduced that neither you nor Miss Marianne were in any danger, I decided to leave you two to your own." The later looked to the bigger boy in naked shock. In turn, Dedue looked to her and gave her a slight courteous bow.

"I-I see, t-t-then farewell!" Her heart beginning to race, she returned the bow, then hurried along, not daring to look back at the two. Actually, she did. While still moving along, she looked back at the two men, noticing them quietly whispering. The insidious voice in her head told her that they were speaking of her, chastising her, she didn't blame them. Clenching at her sides, her thoughts turned to rather or not she should head to the dining hall or the cathedral for her morning prayer. Betraying herself, she looked back and decided that the cathedral would be a better bet. Perhaps the goddess would answer the silent prayer that had quietly taken root in her, the wish that was her misfortune wouldn't fall hinder the prince of Faerghus.

It was a dim wish, but maybe that one would be answered since he was the leader of the most pious nation on the continent, surely the goddess would smile upon him? He at least deserved it far more than her.

Marianne had absolutely no idea why or how she ended up in this situation, it terrified her just to think about it.

* * *

Every crack of spears caused her to wince and avert her eyes from the clashes unfolding in front of her. Ringing in her ears were the grunts of the combatants and the cheer of the crowd, as well as the awes of amazement and boos and sighs of disappointment. It was a continuous storm in her ears that she couldn't block out. Truthfully, she could have just stepped out, excused herself and no one would have known anything. Ultimately, Marianne was just another face in the crowd, her absence wouldn't have been noticed, at least not for a little bit. The thing was, Marianne knew she couldn't leave, a part of her didn't want.

She had after all come with the rest of her housemates to this tournament. She was one of the on-staff healers. Given how…fierce these fighting tournaments could get, Marianne knew that some healers had to be around, especially if a blow went array and ended up doing more harm than expected to someone.

On top of that, Marianne felt it was her duty as a member of the Golden Deer House to be present. She had two of her housemates competing in the tournament and she felt an obligation to be there; while they were a tad…forward, Lorenz and Leonie had been kind enough to her. The former had gone above and beyond to save her on the battlefield, and the latter often sought her out when it came to dealing with horses, even at times asking, or demanding, her input on certain matters. They were her…

_**CRACK! **_

"And he breaks another one." Came the bemused voice of Lysithea, who'd taken up residence by Marianne's sound. Her near bored voice drew the Faith-oriented maiden out of her thoughts and back to reality. "Geez, I think I've seen bears with a tad more self-control than him."

"I-It's not like D-D-Dimitri met it." Spoke up the blue-haired girl causing the shorter and younger girl to look up at her. Quickly, Marianne looked ahead to the recently ended battle. At the very least the practice spear had held out long enough for Dimitri to defeat his current opponent before shattering. He was left standing there with a nervous laugh as he stared at the two broken halves of his practice spear. She remembered hearing something about how thanks to his…rather freakish strength, weapons tended not to last long in his hands. Several had found it amusing, including Marianne himself.

"You talk like you've know him, then again, I've noticed that you do spend a fair bit of time around him." Lysithea spoke.

"W-What? I-I mean w-w-we o-occasionally r-r-run into each other b-but that's it!" Cried the blue-haired girl hoping to cut the conversation off before it could truly take off.

Lysithea regarded her for a splint second, as if debating rather or not she should press the discussion. She ultimately chose not to, focusing her attention on the fighting ground. Professor Eisner had come over, carrying with him a steel lance and handing it to Dimitri. Marianne listened closely and picked up a tad bit of the conversation, it seemed that they were now shifting to real weapons as they drew closer to the semi-finals. Marianne couldn't help but feel a sliver of in knowing that.

"Hey, Marianne." Came the voice of the magical prodigy beside her. "Have a little faith in Lorenz and Leonie…and keep whatever faith you seem to have in Dimitri. He's strong like no one I've ever seen, but he's no brute." The words were delivered with such ease and directness that the pious maiden did a little bit of a double-take in hearing them. Lysithea merely smiled at her, then pointed back to the arena as their orange-haired housemate entered the ring. Standing against the prince of Faerghus himself.

"Hey, hope you don't hold back against me." Leonie started with an excited grin. "I've seen you in action, but I'll warn you, I'm no slouch myself!"

"I don't expect you to be, Leonie!" Dimitri laughed in response twirling his lance before sinking into a fighting position. "The question is, are you skilled enough to keep up with the lance work of Faerghus' royalty."

"Hah! Am I? You're talking to the number once apprentice of the Blade Breaker! _I'll _be the one breaking that spear of yours, but don't worry, I'll get you a new when all of this is over with." Retorted the short-haired girl with a cocky grin that showed how excited she was. It wasn't every day one was able to cross spears with a warrior prince like Dimitri, and a blooming warrior woman like Leonie was absolutely giddy at the opportunity.

On the sidelines, it left Marianne in an odd dilemma. Naturally, she was going to silently root for Leonie…but…she couldn't help but hope that Dimitri came out the victor. What sort of line of thinking was that? She was rooting for the opposition over her own housemate! Thankfully, Marianne was able to keep up an impartial if worried mask up as the fight got under way. Now that they were using real weapons, her ears boomed with the sound of steel and wood clashing against one another, again and again in rapid succession. Both of them were incredibly swift and precise. Any who tried to argue that Dimitri relied solely on brute strength were thoroughly proven wrong, yet again Marianne though, but his holding off of Leonie. Ironically, it was the orange-haired girl that had gone on the offensive while Dimitri seemed to be bidding his time. In a heartbeat, Marianne realized that Dimitri was luring her in, like a lion waiting for its prey to come into pouncing range.

Leonie did just that, but did not pay the price. Eyes flashing, Dimitri went on the attack following a parry that momentarily stunned the Golden Deer student. Surprisingly, Leonie recovered in a matter of seconds and got her footing back, but not without some form of cost. Dimitri's strikes were much stronger than hers, pushing her back inch by inch. Not one to be detoured, however, she struck back when and where she could. Their spears rung with the sounds of battle filling up the training grounds, almost drowning out the noise of the crowd.

Marianne's hands were clapped together, her mind reeling as she prayed for the safety of both her housemate and her opponent. Still, she did not know who to root for.

_**KLANG! KLANG! KLANG! **_

It was brief, but Marianne saw it, the moment that the match was decided. Leonie went in for a side ways swing that Dimitri's eyes widened upon recognizing. Quickly, he raised his own spear, swinging it in the same direction with equal force to Leonie. The resulting shock temporarily paralyzed the orange-haired girl giving the prince the window of time he needed to hit her in the stomach with the butt of his lance, followed next by the left side, and finally a blow that knocked her off her feet. In the seconds that followed, Dimitri had his spear pointed at Leonie's throat.

"Winner, Dimitri!" Shouted the referrer.

"Damn, was hoping for sure that I'd have you beat." Muttered the Leicester Alliance native taking the offered hand as she was pulled up. "Guess I need to do a bit more training, huh?"

"I wouldn't advise against it, but Leonie, you're plenty strong already." Dimitri said.

The statement caused the short-haired girl to grin. "Stronger than all the other guys you've fought in this tournament?"

A nervous laugh slipped from Dimitri's lips as he masked it under the pretext of wiping the sweat from his brow. "I'll…leave that question unanswered, just know that you did give me a challenge."

A smile graced Marianne's face at seeing the immediate reconciliation between the pair. The worry within her faded away as her orange-haired housemate turned in her spear then made her way over to join them on the sidelines.

"Well, you gave it a good shot, suppose we'll have to hinge everything on Lorenz, huh?" Claude chirped up, popping in from seemingly out of nowhere.

"Well, he and I have been sparring, don't I won't say that our chances are too good. If I couldn't beat Dimitri then odds are-"

"The odds will be even, Leonie." Spoke up the rose-wearing nobleman marching up to the group. Save for Hilda, Raphael, and Ignatz, all of whom were out on personal business, the entire Golden Deer house was assembled. "I knew from the start that it would ultimately fall to me to achieve victory in this tournament; rest assured everyone, I will claim victory for the Golden Deer House. I swear on my honor as a-"

"Eh, sure you can beat Edelgard's shadow? Last I heard he can be pretty wicked with a lance, in fact, he's the best spearman in the Black Eagles House." Claude spoke up, no doubt to cut Lorenz off. It was quite clear that the two boys, one destined to lead the Leicester Alliance and the other believe he was the better choice. Even Marianne could see that the friction between the two could one day ignite.

Briefly, Lorenz looked to Claude with annoyance, then turned his back to him. "Simply stand there and watch! I, Lorenz Hellman Gloucester will secure victory!" Following those words, he marched over into the arena where his black-haired opponent lay in wait.

Marianne did not like the smile on Hubert's face, in fact, she never quite liked Hubert to begin with. To be accurate, it was more like she didn't like being _around _him. While she could communicate with animals of all sorts, snakes were something of an odder case. Truthfully, they were rather benign creatures; leave them alone and they left you alone. Hubert, while snake-like…gave off a different feel. He was closer to the predatory breeds that slithered in obscurity then struck, pumping their venom into their target and crippling them. His eyes glowed with amusement as Lorenz stood ready and presented himself before him. The tournament was a weapons-only affair meaning that Hubert couldn't use any magic, which he excelled at, but something in Marianne's gut told her that he didn't need such things in order to win.

As the match got under way, she was proven right as he held himself well against Lorenz. Bombastic and at times slightly overbearing he could have been, Lorenz was a superb fighter, having proven himself on the battlefield several times. He was by no means an easy opponent, something that Hubert seemed to acknowledge as the glint in his eyes changed as the fight continued. Unlike Dimitri and Leonie's battle, Lorenz was all on the offensive with Hubert gradually luring him in. The purple-haired nobleman saw it coming, just as Leonie did. Marianne caught the swift flash of his lance, moving to intercept the sneaky blow that Hubert was planning on using to decide the match. Briefly, the Adrestian student seemed surprised by the move, no doubt he was expecting Lorenz to be unable to predict it; his shock didn't last long though.

The nearest Marianne or any of the other spectators could tell, the two blue-blooded teenagers were evenly matched. Skill would not decide the victor, cunning would.

Which was exactly where Hubert excelled and the heir to House Gloucester fell short.

Hubert's spear went into the stony ground, then came up launching a series of pebbles at the purple haired noble. Scuffing in disgust, Lorenz raised his arm to swat them away. It was just what Hubert had been waiting for.

Marianne had to fight the urge to scream to alert Lorenz of the thrusting attack that grazed his left arm. He winched in pain, but pushed past it in favor of a thrust of his own. It was as Hubert had wanted as he repeated the same tactic as before, this time aiming for Lorenz's eyes temporarily depriving him of his vision. The seconds' long window resulted in a harsh blow to stomach, then a slash to the right shoulder, and finally a roundhouse kick to the chest that sent the Leicester Alliance student toppling to the ground with a grown of pain. Hubert's spear was on him moments later.

"Winner, Hubert!"

Marianne sighed and began to make her way over, a near automatic response.

"That was…that was…that was sportsman-like, Hubert!" Shouted the purple-haired noble rising into a sitting position, his face red not with exhaustion but anger.

All the Adrestian teenager did was chuckle in his same ominous way. "Sportsmanship, Lorenz, you'd do well to remember this, on the battlefield things such a sportsmanship and honor are second-nature to the results. I'd assume as the heir to Count Gloucester would know that much."

Eyes wide with fright, Marianne moved herself in front of Lorenz, and prayed that his shouting didn't reach too great a level. One thing she'd learned about her purple-haired housemate during the first part of the year was that while he was extremely proud of his noble heritage, the relationship between him and his father was…peculiar. Given what she'd heard from her own adoptive father, Marianne didn't have to think hard as to why. Though pompous, Lorenz wasn't that bad of a person, he was incredibly upright in stark contrast to his father who…well, it was said that of all the Alliance lords, Count Gloucester was one who was not to be crossed lightly. And the safest place to be was either at his side or behind him and nowhere else.

Aid came from an unexpected place.

Professor Byleth Eisner was an enigma, one that so many were still struggling to decipher including Marianne herself. What was clear as day though was his combat-oriented wisdom.

"Calm yourself." He spoke as if Lorenz himself were one of his students. "He has a point that in a fight, certain ideals such as honor and sportsmanship aren't worth as much as they're praised for…but self-restraint is something worthwhile. Practice it, and your skills. Broaden your horizons and realize the moment a weapon is picked up, it's life or death."

"Took the words right out of my mouth, Professor Eisner." Hubert chuckled. "Now then, send forth your royal pupil, I long to clash spears with him."

"You will not be disappointed, and the Blue Lions will be taking this victory." Byleth replied in a casual tone that caused an extreme stir amongst the crowd. Even Marianne looked shocked at the words. Her attention was quickly drawn to Dimitri, who stepped up with a somewhat nervous expression. His teacher had just dumped a heavy burden on his shoulders, but he looked to him confident that he could carry it.

As she helped Lorenz up and promised to heal his wounds, her gray eyes wondered and found Dimitri's. Her mouth moved, yet the words she spoke were silent.

"_Good luck." _

The prince smiled at her in that way that made her wonder what the goddess had in store for her. Why she was leading her on like this?

* * *

The hazy glow of the setting sun, life around the Monastery was beginning to settle down if only just a little bit. Night wouldn't be an end, but a slowing down of things, it had been a somewhat eventful day to be honest. Egos had been messaged and bruised on multiple sides, including in Marianne's own house. Contrary to Claude's hopes, they didn't clench victory in the tournament, but he did praise the efforts of Lorenz and Leonie, both of whom were taking their losses well. Lorenz in particular had jumped straight into training along Leonie, no doubt a part of him fueled by the quiet advice of Professor Eisner.

Marianne was happy their spirits were recovering. She was also happy that Dimitri had ultimately been the one to win the lance-fighting tournament, triumphing over Hubert. Her heart raced as she remembered the relieved, the happy smile that had overcame her face when the blond-haired prince was declared the victor. Even her fellow Golden Deer classmates had cheered, Lorenz in particular has he had quite an open respect for the prince of Faerghus. Marianne pondered if she had similar feelings towards him. He was kind, but that kindness was wasted on a person like her.

Her existence was an abominable one, and yet here she was looking at ways to extend it. Did she have a right to do that?

No, what she was attempting to do was find some way to protect her housemates, as much as she could anyone. There were times when magic would only get one so far, not to mention Marianne knew, dreadful as the thought was, there might come a time when she was forced to take a life. Faith magic could kill, but it wasn't meant to.

Spears and lances on the other hand, well…

Sweat had grew on her brow as she made several more practice swings with her lance. Long had the voice of skepticism in her been silent, quelled no doubt by the intensity in which she'd focused into her training. It was unusual as this wasn't like her, spending time training instead of praying. Whenever she delved into her inner thoughts, the faces of her housemates flashed through her mind, specifically of the last mission they had undertaken, a mission to retrieve stolen valuables. A mission where her housemates had taken the lead in fighting the bandits, Ignatz and Claude taking injuries that Marianne had tended to afterward. The two archers had been forced to the frontlines because they were on the verge of getting overwhelmed. Though both had come out whole, Marianne couldn't help but feel a nagging voice telling her that if _she _had been on the frontlines fighting as well, perhaps she could have done something to help them.

Was that the reason why she was doing this? Tolling away her time in weapons practice instead of prayer?

"_Heh, it would put my mind at ease if you chose to study the art of war…but that is the same as wishing for a wolf that does not hunt. Marianne, you can be much, but I highly doubt a warrior. You don't have the stomach for bloodshed, not that that is something to be ashamed of. There are some meant a sword and some not, you are merely in the latter category. Find your talents elsewhere." _Her adoptive father had told her in the same manner of voice a professor would have lectured his students in. He hadn't been too far off the mark in his statement.

Time, however, had a way of turning what was a true statement false.

Alone in one of the Monastery's many practice halls she slashed and parried at invisible enemies, her voice rising several octaves as whatever passed for a fighting spirit was ignited in her. One wouldn't have been wrong to assume that such a thing had no place in a girl like her, Marianne herself truly believed that for some time.

Now though, she called upon that fighting spirit, however minuscule it might have been. If she could muster it here in this practice hall then surely there was hope on the battlefield.

As the sweat grew, her uniform jacket grew a tad more stuffy. Marianne knew that she couldn't continue on at this rate, it was becoming a bit of an annoyance. Casting a quick look around, she saw that she was alone so there was surely no harm to be found in throwing off her gold-lined jacket, Marianne in fact found joy and relief in doing so.

Somehow, it felt like she was able to move more freely, or maybe it was just her putting a bit more effort into her swings. Exactly how much practice was she getting, slashing at empty air? Surely a training partner would have been better for her, but who would want to spar with her? Last she saw, Lorenz and Leonie had taken to training with one another, their competitive spirits resonating with each other. Marianne was happy for them, especially since the time offered them a chance to bond over their initial friction.

"_Meow." _

"H-Huh?" Looking down as her sweat dropped to the ground, she was met with a pair of silted feline eyes that blinked at her. The cat meowed again, seemingly in curious before turning its nose to the droplets of sweat that had poured from her forehead. "W-Where did you come from?" She asked taking a step back and leaning down.

The orange-furred feline answered her, then turned back to the doorway.

"Um…D-D-Dimitri, i-is there something I can help you w-w-with?"

Stepping out into the open, the Faerghus prince looked readily embarrassed. It was nothing compared to Marianne, who suddenly felt an overwhelming desire to drop her spear, take the cat and run.

"I-I…well…I was actually training…and…looking after…well…" His face blushing as red as the banner of the Black Eagles' banner as he pointed to the orange-furred cat affectionately purring at Marianne's leg. "He's…one of Professor Byleth's…cats. His name is Leigh."

Placing her lance down, she began to stroke the small animal's back, much to his delight. "That's a good name for him." Looking up, she subtly scoured his face and hands for any sign of scratches showing that Leigh had clawed his way out of Dimitri's grasp; there were none. "U-Um, w-where is Professor Eisner?"

"He had some business that he said he needed to conduct, some involving his father's mercenary's company. They're officially under the employ of the Church for the time being and he said that he didn't want to abandon them while teaching us. He truly is a remarkable man." Admitted the blond prince with an air of fondness in his voice. His blue eyes drifted down to the lance that lay at her side, as well as the sweat on her face. "Training?"

"I-I…well…y-yes. I…even though I will probably never amount to anything I…I decided to give it a try." Marianne said averting her gaze from the taller student.

Dimitri's eyes shimmered with sympathy. "I wouldn't be so sure of that, you never know how something will end until you give it a try yourself. If you're interested in practicing your lance work, I'm sure Professor Byleth would be more than willing to give you some lessons. I…well…if you would want me to…I could…"

"Y-You'd teach me?" Marianne stammered in naked shock. "D-D-Dimitri, I-I don't…you shouldn't waste your time with someone like me. I'm a poor warrior, and a subpar magic user who-"

"Who I have heard praise of, especially by her own classmates." Gently cut off the blue-capped teenager. A supportive meow left the maws of Leigh, who'd seemingly gone to listening in on the conversation. Chuckling, Dimitri leaned down and offered his gloved hand. The cat purred, then walked over and licked his fingertips. Marianne held back a smile seeing there was no animosity in the interactions between the two. "Marianne, anyone can do anything if they put their mind to it. More importantly, if you're fighting to protect something or someone…" Stepping over, he picked up the lance and handed it to her. "You have people that you wish to protect, do you not? If you hold onto those things, I'm sure you'll be able to master any weapon you put your mind to."

Heat flared up around Marianne's cheeks while her heart beat several paces faster than normal. Trembling, she took a step back, but gripped the lance none the less. "I-I'll…I'll consider it. I-I'll leave you to y-your duties." Gripping her lance, she stepped to the side, casting one last glance at the prince and the cat, who looked at her with animalistic curiosity as if he too were asking why she was leaving.

The answer was she didn't want to bring undo bad luck onto either of them.

Her heels clacked against the stone pavement carrying her out of the practice hall and down the short hallway that would have led to the exit. Sadly, there was someone waiting for her.

"I take it you ran into the Boar? Tell me, was he as frightening in a private showing as he was during the tournament today?" Remarked the Blue Lions' resident swordsman, leaning against one of the pillars. His gaze was as sharp and alert as ever, which to Marianne simply came off as terrifying.

"I…I…I was just leaving."

"Fleeing no doubt." Felix huffed. "Tell me, does he still have the cat with him?"

"Leigh? Y-Yes, h-he does. A-And I was not…fleeing." It was such a pathetic lie she was sure that the swordsman saw through it easily. The near bored expression on his face told her that she did. Marianne realized in that instant she needed to get much better at lying and bluffing. Maybe Hilda could give her some lessons. "I-I didn't mean to interrupt him."

"You weren't interrupting anything. The Professor instructed us to look after that insufferable little cat, which seems to enjoy running away from us like it's some sort of game. If this is supposed to be some sort of training, then I'll be raising a compliment against him." Spoke the male Crest-bearer stepping forward. He barely baited an eye as he walked past Marianne, who flinched as he passed her. "Word of advice, stay away from the Boar if you wish to return to your domain whole. Everything he comes into contact with, he destroys, just like the myriad of lances and swords he's left behind in his wake."

Those were the last words Marianne heard before Felix continued on, not caring for the stunned look on Marianne's face. She looked back to him as he left, not paying her another bit of thought.

The cold look on his face and tone of his voice hung in Marianne's mind as she made her way back to her room. Though she hadn't interacted with him much, Marianne could tell there was certainly some tension between Felix and Dimitri, arguably more so than what lay between Lorenz and Claude. Though the rivalry between the two was there, the animal whisperer could tell it was more professional than personal; with the former two…well, Marianne wasn't even sure it could be called a rivalry, it was more like genuine animosity, at least on Felix's part. Not to mention the way he referred to Dimitri as a boar, it was…unsettling to Marianne. Not to mention incredibly off-put. So far, Dimitri had been nothing but polite and respectful to her, more so than he needed to be, more so than what she deserved.

She shook her head in a vain effort to push the thoughts out of her head.

"Marianne! Mari…oh, oh my, seems like someone definitely got quite a work out in, in more ways than one!" Recognizing that giggle in an instant, the sky-blue-haired girl spun to her right and found Hilda coming toward her. Unlike with most people, she didn't feel a reflexive need to run or hide. Somehow, the pig-tailed girl that…become a presence that Marianne could be around, even at times longed for. She was one of the people she was closest to after all. What made her curious was the mischievous look in her eyes, curious and wondered. "My, my, I'm glad to see that if you've been getting out more."

"W-What do you mean, Hilda? I-I just…I just went to do some practice. W-Weapons practice." Responded the adoptive noble.

"Uh-huh, I can see that." Giggled the more carefree girl. "You know, if you wanted some lance practice, you could have just sought out Lorenz or Leonie…or maybe there was someone else you wanted to practice with…"

"I was by myself!" Marianne immediately stammered. "I-I mean that I didn't want to be a burden on anyone, b-but I…" She said nothing as her hand was grabbed and the axe-user began to steer them away from the dorms toward the dining hall. It was still hours before dinner, but a little snake wouldn't hurt, especially some ice-cold water which might have done well to cure the dryness in Marianne's mouth.

"Sure, but there's a difference between magic training and weapons training, especially training with a lance. I hear that's the sort of thing that goes best with a partner, which save for Lorenz and Leonie, we really don't have in the Golden Deer. Heh, it's also probably one that won't get much better in the near future."

"They're getting along better?" Marianne asked with a ghost of a smile on her face.

Laughing, Hilda threw her arm around her shoulder. "Oh, I can believe that. At least enough that they can now stand being around each other. Seems that argument they had a few weeks ago is now dust in the wind. Amazing how much things can change in a few months' time, even I've come to enjoy myself here. What about you?"

"W-Who, me?"

"Yes, you, Marianne." Hilda grinned. "Before, you'd barely speak, and now here we are holding a conversation, and I'd have to guess you've been talking to others. Not to mention you're putting in actual work into something other than prayer and magic! No offense though."

"I-It's fine. I-It's just I…" It dawned on her that she was still carrying her lance, her hands gripping and loosening along the shaft like it was a stress ball instead of a weapon. "I realized that I…I could do more, that I…wanted to do more. Even if I don't have any talent with a weapon."

At first, Hilda was silent, then she spoke in that same cheaper voice. "Wait right here, I'll be right back."

Marianne did as requested, blinking in surprise and anticipation at what her friend had in store for her. Almost three minutes later and Hilda returned, two glasses of water in her hand along with a set of napkins in her hands. Following her motioning, Marianne sat down near one of the stone benches; the next thing she knew, one of the napkins, wettened, had been placed over her forehead as a makeshift wash rag. It of course, caught her by surprise, but the cool feel was relaxing to her. Next came the glass of water, which was equally refreshing to her.

"The sweat you've worked up…it kind of reminds me of my brother, the pride of House Gonreil…working so hard to live up to the standards that have been set before you. Something that I can never do." Pausing in her drinking, Marianne looked to her pig-tailed friend with naked shock. It wasn't like this was the first time she'd brought up her older brother, but it was a first she'd brought him up…in comparison to _her_. As the shock rolled over her, Hilda looked to her with a carefree smile. There was never any malice or ill-intent when she spoke of her brother, or to her; the latter almost always left Marianne baffled. "You've got some talent, with a spear or a sword, both of which I've seen you use before. I'm not the kind of girl who'll put much effort into anything…but you're a different story. Keep up what you're doing and one day, you'll probably be on par with those blue-bloods from the Blue Lions, speaking of which, if you're interested in weapons practice, you can definitely go to them for advice. They are after all the 'war masters' of the academy, especially with Professor Byleth teaching them."

"You're…using his first name too." Hilda noted.

"Yep! I actually had the chance to talk to him a couple of weeks ago. He and Professor Manuela were giving a joint class on first aid and Claude suckered me into going. Believe it or not, but he told everyone to call him by his first name because he didn't want to be confused for his father." A brief heartfelt snicker fell through Hilda's lips. "You really should have been there to seen them, Professor Byleth couldn't stop staring at her! He's smitten with her, I know it!"

"Y-You can tell from just a single look?"

"Well, word is they have been around each other, including that Professor Byleth has even walked her home a few times from her drinking. Heh, here's hoping I never get that drunk you need to carry me home."

"Y-You'd trust me to do that?"

"Marianne," Hilda began. "I trust you to have my back in a fight, be it with a spear, sword, or magic. You may be shy and a quiet and at times even a bit of a downer, but if there's one thing you're good at, it's caring for people."

The words were a shock to Marianne, but quickly they sunk in, causing a warm smile to grow along her face. "So…do you…think I could be good at one day using a spear?"

"If you keep on going at it like you did today, definitely. A lance or a sword."

"Not a sword." Suddenly spoke the devote teen. Her hands tightened as dark memories flashed through her mind. "If I am to wield a weapon…I'll have it be a lance…and I'll…do what I can with it, however I can."

Hilda looked a tad surprise at the statement, but kept her thoughts to herself. Quietly, she filed away the response she'd gotten once she brought up swords, and instead focused on the more positive affirmation she got. It brought a smile to Hilda's face, warmed her heart enough that she chose to keep quiet on the fact that Marianne was still in her sweat-laced undershirt. Maybe Marianne would notice later on…and when that helped Hilda would get a slight laugh in at her expanse. It couldn't hurt too much, could it?

* * *

**This chapter definitely turn out as I initially planned, but hey, that's how the ball rolls. It obviously picks up about two months after the school's year began and everyone's settled into their classes and gotten to known their classmates a little. This chapter was supposed to cover the aftermath of the Lonato mission, but I'll save that for next chapter when Dimitri's in doubt and Marianne finds him, it'll be one of the many topics they'll be discussing. Speaking of topics, the one for this chapter was lances, namely that Marianne has a hidden talent in lances, which makes sense as she both gravitates towards the Holy Knight class…and given her Crest Weapon is a sword, she'd want to get as far away from swords as possible. **

**Until next chapter, which will definitely feature more Dimitri-Marianne interaction! **


	3. Chapter 3-Word With the Lost and Found

**Hey, everyone. Back with another chapter, one that's going to cover the aftermath of a certain in-game event that I wanted to get to last chapter, but here we are. A little mix of the upbeat and the downtrodden so hope you enjoy! **

**I do not own anything.**

* * *

_**Chapter 3-Words with the Lost and Found**_

It was only after she'd shut her door did Marianne realized that she'd left her jacket behind in the training hall. Far, far behind in fact. A hot blush fueled by embarrassment washed over her face causing her to sink to the floor. She could only imagine what her adoptive father would have had to say at such a fumble. After admonishing her, he'd probably tell her to return to the training hall and collect it; the problem was it'd been over an hour and Marianne was sure that by now, someone else had already come into the training hall and…well, Marianne wasn't quite sure what to think with what could be done with her jacket. It wasn't like it had her name on it, or any items of value in the pockets or such. At best, someone would assume that it had been mistakenly placed there; hopefully, afterwards it would be disposed into the lost and found bin which she last heard was looked over by Professor Eisner. Surely that would result in the entire situation working itself out, right?

On top of that, it wasn't like she was entirely out of clothing to wear, far from it to be precise.

Looking back, Marianne wasn't quite sure what led her to invite Hilda into her room. She'd been standing there by the door and offering to help, and she probably hadn't been thinking clearly at the time so one thing ended up leading to another. The pink-haired Crest-bearer had taken one look at her closest, without her permission, and immediately decided that Marianne needed a "wardrobe upgrade" as she'd called it. She didn't really have the heart to resist her, only giving a meek yes in response. At the end of it all…Marianne couldn't exactly say that she _regretted _spending the day with Hilda; she actually…enjoyed it.

Still, it wasn't like Marianne had a schedule filled with events for her to wear half the dresses that occupied her closet. At best many of them would simply collect dust, albeit that might have been a bit preferable to the fate of some of her other clothes, lying on the floor getting torn up and further dirtied. On the plus side, when she returned home, she'd likely be taking the clothes with her and could present them to her adoptive father, his response would no doubt be a statement regarding how he doesn't have to spend money on clothes for her. Clothes that could make her look presentable.

Speaking of presentable, her mind turned back to a certain blonde-haired prince who'd boosted his already considerable reputation. Rising to her feet, she walked over to her bed and sat down on the edge, her hand stretching back across the sheets.

Odd as it was, she felt a stirring in her heart when her mind drifted to the spear-wielding prince, a boy who showed all he interacted with kindness rather they deserved it or not. Even her, especially her. Marianne believed it to be the famed Faerghus chivalry that she'd heard so much about; apparently, it was indeed real. Then again, maybe it was just Dimitri, which made it all the more special…and terrifying.

How long would that kindness last? How long could Dimitri afford to show such generosity towards her and not suffer any backlash for it? Even a prince such as himself would suffer like everyone else from being around her. The smart thing to do would have been to distance herself from him, starting maybe tomorrow.

But…what if fate had them cross paths yet again?

Falling back against her bed, Marianne wondered yet again what the goddess had in store for her. Day after day, she tried to look for the signs, that was when she wasn't…doing the best she could to get through the day. That pattern of day after day, putting one foot in front of the other and moving on, taking what came at her by the hour, that was life as she knew it. Life as she thought she couldn't live it, yet she was doing so. Turning to the side, Marianne pondered how she came to be able to do that.

A myriad of faces flashed across her mind, the last one being Dimitri's. Had their brief encounter had such an impact on her? Was it fate that they'd meet? Would it be fate that he would fall before her, no doubt by the cursed influence of her Crest? Would he find some way to endure it? A silent gasp escaped her in realizing that last thought, that someone could manage to rise and endure in the face of her cursed existence.

It was an interesting thought, but one that Marianne wasn't eager to put to the test. Playing it safe had always been her lot in life, and for the foreseeable future it would remain that way.

At least until something happened that told her that way of life could no longer be sufficient.

Marianne felt a tingle up her spine that roused her awake the next morning. Expectedly, her room was dark, only thin beams of morning light coming through at the edge of the curtains. Pushing herself upward, her mouth stretched up in a yawn, her sky-blue hair falling loose over her head. Looking around, she saw that she was alone, yet the tingling in her spine continued, pushing her to further examine her surroundings. Eventually, her eyes settled on the door. Swallowing a slight lump in her throat, she got up and made her way to it.

Though she sensed no one on the other side, a part of her couldn't help but feel like there had been someone there before, perhaps a minute ago. Sucking in a breath, she twisted the knob and pulled inward, opening herself up to the hallway.

Down at the foot of her door lay a box…and a lance. Strange didn't even begin to cover it. While she stared in dumbfounded shock, Marianne's sensible side kicked it, screaming at her to pull both items into her room where she could exam them. Scenes like this were how ill rumors were born, and those were amongst the last things she wanted getting out.

Quietly, she took hold of the lance and box then pulled them in, depositing them onto her bed. Her gaze shifted between the box and the lance, a polished silver weapon that belonged in the hands of a warrior, not her. Had someone made a mistake?

Nervously, she opened the box and let out a gasp. Inside was her uniform, neatly folded up and presented to her with a note atop of it. Confused and intrigued, she reached forward and unfolded the piece of paper, her heart quietly beating at a frantic pace in her chest.

_**Marianne,**_

_**Pardon me, but you left your jacket lying in the training hall. I attempted to return to it to you, but unfortunately other obligations came up so I hope that you do not mind the delay. Also, I'm not quite sure how to explain this to you, but some…modifications were made to your uniform, and the lance. Consider it a personal gift, both are attuned to work with your faith magic so I encourage you to make the most of them. Until we meet again, and please take care of yourself. **_

_**Sincerely, Dimitri**_

Seconds after finishing reading the letter, Marianne could have sworn she felt her legs going wobbly. Was this some sort of joke? Was this really happening to her?

Somehow, it was. Falling onto the edge of the bed, she continuously read the letter over and over again. She was absolutely sure that this was Dimitri's handwriting. It was as neat and precise as expected of a noble. So too was the weapon that had come with the package. Heart still racing, Marianne reached for the weapon; the minute her fingers touched the polished metal, she felt a cool rush of power. Holding it up to the faint morning light streaming in, she noticed the somewhat magical sheen of the weapon's tip. Through arcane means, the weapon had been infused with some traces of magic.

A thought ran through the devoted girl's mind, one that she chose to execute rather quickly. Closing her eyes, she concentrated, flowing her magical power into the lance as she'd read in her textbooks. Opening her eyes, she saw a spark of wintry light shining at the tip, the temperature dropping in her room at a snail's pace. Quickly cutting off the magical flow, the light faded and Marianne placed the weapon down in her lap. It was a work of remarkable craftsmanship, a long silvery metal shaft with navy blue wrappings around the base for one's hands. The guard was a golden cross, from the which sprang up the blade, itself polished steel. Touching it, Marianne felt a slight hum beneath it, inert magical energy.

Drifting downward, she got a better look at the guard. Like all custom weapons, it had an engraving on it, one that set at the base of the golden cross. Her breath caught in her throat seeing the familiar three-pointed emblem, the emblem that she'd seen on the back of the black coat worn by Professor Eisner and the orange tunic on his father, Captain Jeralt Eisner. Aside from being mercenaries, were they also blacksmiths? Even enchanters based on the magical nature of the weapon she wielded?

Her mind halted there, realizing that she had such a finely crafted weapon was now hers. Her, a woman of the faith who'd much rather let an enemy blade remove her head than use her own to remove theirs. It was a wasted gifted.

Yet Marianne felt herself struggling to turn it down. Dimitri had no doubt gotten up early and gone to the trouble of delivering all of this to her.

At the very least she owed him a face to face talk about it, and maybe some convincing that he shouldn't do this again.

* * *

_**One hour later…**_

"If you're looking for the Blue Lions, they left earlier this morning."

That news was…shocking to say the least. Marianne stood in front of the door, dumbfounded at the news. She wasn't expecting it, especially since odds are Dimitri had just been at her door little more than an hour ago. With the recent news, it was probably because it was one of the last things that he could do before setting out and leaving with his class.

"I-I see, t-t-thank you for notifying me, Cyril." Spoke the Leicester Alliance native to the orange-eyed orphan. He was a quiet and diligent soul, something that Marianne could somewhat admire. "I-If y-you don't mind, do you know when they might be back?"

"I don't know, but I hear they were heading to Faerghus so I don't think they'll be back for a couple of days." Responded the tan-skinned orphan with a shrug. "Professor Eisner told me to look after the classroom and armory and help anyone out if they needed anything. Do you?"

"N-No, j-just stopping by. B-Best of luck with your work, Cyril." It seemed that yet again, the goddess was toying with her. Marianne was beginning to grow a tad tired of it. She'd eaten breakfast first, early at that, then gone to the Blue Lions classroom hoping she'd be able to catch Dimitri before classes began. Now all of that planning had gone up in smoke.

Or maybe rain based on the graying clouds.

_That's right. The rainy season has begun. _Marianne had mixed feelings about the rain. It was said that when the sky opened up, the goddess was expressing her sorrow. Given how chaotic the world could be, Marianne often worried what caused her despair. There was a wide list of things to choose from, plus the possibility that she was weeping for a tragedy yet to unfold. Her heart skipped a beat at the thought.

"He'll…he'll be fine. Dimitri will be…he will be alright." Whispered the blue-haired girl deciding to make for her own classroom. Just a foot from the door, she stopped dead in her tracks and looked back to the sky. Gray clouds were lazily drifting across the blue sky giving the impression that rain would come at some point in the day. When it did, there'd be a hustle to get indoors. Before Marianne knew it, she had turned on her heel and was heading towards the cathedral. There was nothing wrong with praying for her classmates, even if they were from a different house, to have a safe trip and hopeful return, was there?

Life went on, even as one House was absent, in fact, that was extremely common at the Officers Academy. The Blue Lions had been gone for two days on a mission whose details Marianne had quietly picked up between classes. Apparently, the adoptive father of one of their members had mounted a rebellion that needed to be put down. The fact that it was one of their own had no doubt been a deciding factor in them choosing to go.

They wouldn't be the only ones.

At the end of class, Professor Hanneman had told them all that they would be heading out to the Adrestian Empire to confront a noble who'd been smuggling magical stones and other objects. The graying-haired professor was rather up front in telling them that combat was more than likely going to become a reality; Marianne shuddered when she heard that.

"Everyone, this is me doing my best o advise you all to pack appropriately. What we will be facing shall be mages who use not just magic, but will be doing their utmost to enhance their abilities with what items they have managed to smuggle." Spoke the magical instructor pushing his monocle up. As one would have expected, his words were heavy with the truth. They'd had combat missions before, and each one had proven life-threatening on some level. This one would be no different, it might even be worse since they would likely be confronting enemies who focused solely on magic. For some such as Raphael, who visibly shuddered, it meant that the utmost caution had to be exercised. "We shall be departing the day after tomorrow, at which point we will be joining a caravan that shall take us to our destination, the city of Tanglim."

Her adoptive father had been there three times before, each time coming back with some souvenirs as he'd called them. Immediately, she began to stretch her mind back, struggling to recall the information that would prove necessary for this mission. Then something popped into her mind.

"_Magic users are tough, but they are far from invisible, even the greatest Archmage has a number of weaknesses that can be exploited. One of them being to simply cut off access to his mana, his magical energy. Alongside that, there's the act of sheer defense against the forces of magic." _

Marianne blinked, then raised her hand. "P-Professor, w-wouldn't it be best i-if we took anti-magic weaponry and other items with us?"

"Quite so, Marianne. I will go to the armory and procure the equipment we need, of course you all are free to do so on your own. I will say again, we shall likely be running into experienced sorcerers and sorceresses, ones that will not think twice about inflicting bodily harm onto any of you. In turn, you should think nothing of doing the same to them in retaliation." Answered the former Adrestian nobleman.

There was a murmur of talk amongst the class, particular the more adventurous and battle-hungry. The more…soft-hearted ones such as Marianne herself were much less enthusiastic. Sparring a glance at artistic Ignatz, Marianne felt some comfort in knowing she wasn't alone, but she also knew that she would be expected to pull her weight on the up incoming mission.

She'd already killed once, and from that moment onward, she'd only continued to do more so. All she could do was pray to the goddess for the salvation of the souls of those she'd slain, and wait for her eventual punishment for taking life. A small part of her wondered how many lives would she have taken by the time she graduated from the Officers Academy.

For better or for worse, the Officers Academy was still a military school, and students were still expected to carry out certain duties. Marianne ahd accepted that, one of those duties was keeping her classmates alive, even if it meant taking a life.

Back in her room, she had a weapon that could do that in spades.

"Gotta say, I was a little bit surprised to hear you speak up like that. Kind of happy actually." Spoke the orange-haired horsewomen of the Golden Deer Class. Stable duty had come and of course, it had placed the house's most hot-blooded member with its quietest and meekest. Or at least, that's what Leonie originally thought. She could see Marianne practically bouncing on her feet, no doubt from nervousness. "Guess that means you took Captain Jeralt's advice to heart during that seminar he taught, huh?"

"I-I did. I-It…I…I suppose going wasn't so bad." Truth be told, she'd practically been dragged to the special teaching seminar held by Captain Jeralt and his son. Claude and Lorenz, in agreement for once, pushed her into going, both citing her preferred usage of the lance as reason enough. As usual, she didn't really have the heart to say no to either of them. "T-They'd been through a lot of battles, s-so it's understandable they'd know how to counter magic-users."

"Magic, a sword, a lance, an axe, every weapon has its weakness." Leonie noted with a smile. "Hell, you can say that's part of the fun of battle! Once you figure out your opponent's weakness, all you have to do is exploit and boom! Hit him 'till they go down!" Her excitement slowly fizzled out as she watched the her blue-haired housemate look down to the ground, her hands deftly brushing the mane of her favorite horse. "Hey, Marianne, when we set out on the mission, just behind. Let us do all the-"

"I-I'll fight too, me…and Dorte." The latter gave a near approving huff as he affectionately nuzzled his rider's cheek, causing her to smile.

Leonie smiled as well. "Sounds like someone's starting to find their warrior spirit."

"I-I wouldn't say that, Leonie." Marianne softly countered. "It's just…I, well, I know that I can't keep on relying on everyone else to protect me, and not doing anything in return."

"You help keep us alive, which is more than awesome enough." Remarked the archer. "With as often as we're running into the fray, we could use a healer, though I hear that Professor Hanneman is tutoring Lysethia and Lorenz, I heard that Ignatz has some talent as well. Counting you that gives us four magic users. Maybe that'll give us an edge in the Battle of the Eagle and Lion."

"You're certainly looking forward to it, aren't you?"

"Of course I am! It'll be a real chance for me to test myself against Byleth! I'll be the one to challenge him in battle, and defeat him! What about you, anyone you've got your eyes set on?"

"N-No, no one. I really don't have a wish to fight anyone, physically or academically." Her hands lay flat against her favorite stallion's side, the beast quiet and unmoving to serve as comfort for her. "I'm not like most of the others…I really don't have much ambition or drive."

"It's because deep down, you really don't want to be here, do you?"

"…Yes." Marianne said somewhat regrettably. Quickly, she began to speak again, "I'm sorry. I know that compared to you, someone who had to work hard, what I'm saying is probably heartless and insensitive, but I-ep!" Leonie could at times be, a very physical person. In this case, both of her hands had came down on Marianne's shoulders, practically lightning striking her on the head.

"Hey, you don't have to apologize, alright?" Began the commoner looking Marianne square in the eye. "You're you, you don't like fighting, you don't care about nobility and politics, and you really don't seem the academic type either. Instead…you're probably the best animal whisperer and most devout person I've ever met. There's nothing wrong with that, and there's nothing wrong with a person like that being here at Garreg Mach. Hell, there's a chance one day you could end up either a priest for the Church or in charge of the stables here. Saying that you graduated from the Officers Academy will probably help with that, won't it?"

She silently mused on the what sort of future occupations awaited her. "I…guess you're right. That is no doubt what my adoptive father had in mind for me…whatever path I choose."

"You could always work here, at the Monastery." Offered the orange-haired and eyed student. "I mean, maybe you could take over teaching religious classes or something. Personally, I think you'd make for a good teacher."

"M-Me?"

"Yeah, you." She laughed. "You're a lot smarter than you let on, though I guess that's to be expected of a noble's daughter. How would you feel about teaching instead of being a trophy wife to some rich noble?"

The latter was a future Marianne was vaguely aware of. It wasn't like such a thing was unfathomable…but she couldn't say she felt the knee-jerk revulsion towards it other women might have had. Leonie surely would have had it, and the same thing with Lysithea; of her classmates, she believed only Hilda would find such a life acceptable for personal reasons. As for her…the future was a far off, distant thing. It was something she was undeserving of.

"Hey, Marianne," Called the young warrior woman. Looking to her, Marianne noted the firm resolve in her eyes, resolve that a person like her could only sometimes dream about mustering up. "Before we head out spar with me and Lorenz. Just, ya' know, for your own sake." She didn't need to directly say what her implications were for the true meaning of the message to be sent, and it was received with silent acceptance.

Marianne was grateful though. It was an unspoken fact that she was the least capable combatant in the Golden Deer House, but she'd worked in her own way to change that. Her housemates had seen her efforts and in their own respective ways had helped her change that. She supposed it was good thing that they did so without directly mentioning that truth; everyone was mindful of just how low her self-esteem was, as well as her reluctance to shed blood in the name of her goals, or lack therefore of. What she could do, was shed blood in the name of her own survival and those of her classmates. Of course, she prayed for the souls of the deceased afterward, and for the continued safety of her classmates.

But somewhere inside, maybe she was beginning to believe that safety could be taken into her own hands, if only just a little.

* * *

"Sooo, are you gonna confess, or are you going to leave me in suspense?"

She'd seen this coming from a mile away. When Marianne chose to take her lance with her with the intention of using it, she accepted that she'd get questioned by it. It was a masterfully crafted weapon, one that made for a decent enough magic wand just as good as those that sorcerers and sorceresses possessed, the same kind that they'd just finished battling. The same kind that the Golden Deer had triumphed over. A triumph that they were now celebrating; in that celebration, Marianne had of course sneaked off to be by herself, but of course, Hilda had other ideas. It didn't surprise her in the slightest that she'd followed her outside, away from the roar and rumble of the victory celebrations.

Marianne offered up the spear to Hilda so she could get a close look. She did, but only in the sense that she leaned forward, her eyes scanning the blade's base. All too quickly, her lips curled into a devious smile.

"My, my, so you _have _been talking to people outside of our class, and not just anyone." Giggled the axe-user with an impish smile, the sort that always sent Marianne's heart racing at carrying speeds. "I don't suppose there's a story behind this?"

"My jacket." Admitted the spear-user in a whisper-like voice.

Hilda still heard it, but that didn't mean she understood her response. "Huh? Your jacket?"

"I was…I was training by myself…t-t-then P-Prince Dimitri c-c-came along and-"

"Prince Dimitri's involved in this? Oooh, seducing a professor _and _a prince-"

"H-Hilda!" Shrieked the brown-eyed girl with a scandalized blush coloring her cheeks, which only made Hilda laugh all the harder. Marianne quickly regained her wits, letting out a deep sigh that had become common place with talking to Hilda. She certainly enjoyed getting a rise out of her, and sometimes Marianne found she actually _enjoyed _the emotional stimulation. Not that she'd ever let her know that, the goddess only knew what would happen. "I-It…w-w-well…I was in the training hall, practicing by myself…then Prince Dimitri came by. We…talked for a little bit then I left, not realizing that I'd forgotten some things…like my jacket."

"Aaand, the prince returned it to you?" Inquired the pink-haired student with a smirk.

"I-In a manner of speaking. I didn't realize that I'd left it until I got back to my room by which point…" It was alright for her to trail off, Hilda got the gist of it well enough, and thankfully, she kept her comments to herself. "T-The morning we received our mission, I-I found a package at my door. It was my uniform…and this spear. I'm guessing that Professor Eisner must have found Dimitri while he was searching for me."

"And he decided to give you a little something extra, gotta say, sounds like Professor Eisner can be quite a charmer." Giggled the second-born child to House Goneril. Behind her sly smile, the wheels were turning. She'd heard word that the academy's newest professor possessed some skill in blacksmithing and metal-work, magic was another story. Marianne's spear was magical in nature, a specialized magical staff that also functioned as a weapon, a magical weapon. It seemed a bit too…advanced for someone like Professor Eisner, then again, she heard that he had a magical prodigy in his class, one almost on par with their own Lysithea. "Heh, some new clothes and a new weapon, talk about some amazing luck."

"Hilda, please." Marianne countered, her fingers tightening around the shaft of her lance. Somewhere inside, she knew that it had been a test, one where she was a rather unwilling participant. Professor Eisner had not given her this lance merely for decoration, but so she could actually use it. She'd definitely gotten some usage out of it. Casting spells of healing and attack, running enemies through and slashing them. The once polished silver blade had been died deep red, and it whitish-blue glow remained; it was actually shining rather brightly underneath the light of the half-moon overhead. If nothing else, the weapon had proven to be effective, even in the hands of one as mediocre as her.

Lightly thumping in their ears were the sounds of the continued victory celebration coming little more than twenty feet from them. A lavish manor that belonged to the town mayor. Marianne was grateful that the "backyard" of the manor was still as quiet and serene as a forest, especially with a crescent moon hanging high over the land. She leaned back into the bench; the lance held tightly in the crux of her left arm.

"So, you'll be keeping it then, huh?" Her classmate said watching her with thinly veiled interest. Marianne's face turned to the moonlit pond before them. "I mean, it'd be a bit of a waste to give it or try to push it back to them. On top of that…you did save our lives using it, isn't that a good enough reason to keep it?" As she'd spoke, Hilda had gone from nosy to being genuine; the change caused Marianne's tensed up shoulders. Finally, she turned to face her.

"I…want to prove that this lance…that I am worthy of wielding it." Whispered the adoptive noblewoman. She let out a small cry of surprise when an arm came down around her shoulder. Looking up, she wasn't surprised to find Hilda smiling at her, what she was surprised at was finding her holding two glasses between her fingers, a wide smile on her face. "H-Hilda," she started.

"Hey, I'd say you earned the right to wield that thing." Giggled the pig-tailed girl. "You saved our butts with it, and a couple dozen hostages."

Thinking back to the conversation she'd had with Leonie just three days before, Marianne blushed sheepishly. "A nun…wielding a spear."

"Stranger things have happened. I mean, there's stories of priests and bishops taking up swords and heading out onto the battlefield to fight. Maybe you'll be one of those one day. Until then…let's just enjoy things as they are now." Of course, as she spoke the words, she was reaching down for the bottle of liquor she'd somehow managed to swipe away from the celebration. Given how loud things were, Marianne fully doubted that anyone would notice, or care. She didn't if only for tonight.

Naturally, she uttered a prayer as she toasted Hilda, then took her first sip. The taste was unsurprisingly bitter, but not the worst she'd ever tried. Her adoptive father had actually encouraged her to give alcohol a try, if only so she could know what the taste was like. Better she give it a try within the confines of the Edmund manner than out in the "wilderness" like this. What he'd also mentioned was how there was some joy to be found in doing the latter; he'd done so with a light smirk on his face, no doubt recalling fond memories of such. Marianne believed she'd just made oner herself.

She looked out over the water again, this time, her eyes focusing on the hazy reflection of the moon on the water's surface. There was something near mystical about the glow that drew her in. The more she looked the more she found herself drifting back to the well-being of the blue-eyed prince of Faerghus. Marianne genuinely wondered how he was doing, how his house's mission to suppress a rebellion was going. Were they safe? Had they been able to subdue the rebels without violence? She hoped the good fortune that her house had didn't come at the expanse of another.

"So, I guess you're willing to stay out here for a little while longer?" Came the voice of her admittedly closest friend.

Marianne nodded. "Would you be willing to stay with me?"

"Hey, I know you like being alone but everyone could use some company. Besides," Leaning back, the usually sweet and lazy girl held a heartfelt smile on her face. "It's nice to take the time and enjoy some peace and quiet like this, even after a big victory."

* * *

The moon still hung high in the night sky when the Blue Lions returned to Garreg Mach Monastery. Their arrival was a somber one as word had already spread of how their mission had gone.

They'd succeeded in their mission…but that was the problem. Success had come with the deaths of dozens of innocent villagers including the rebellion's instigator, Lord Lonato himself, who also happened to be the adoptive father of one of students themselves. Indeed, it was a "tragic success" as she'd heard some call it.

Marianne immediately blamed herself. That was why she was here, in the cathedral late at night, praying, again. It was practically her second room, the only other place she felt she could feel safe, especially when she was alone like this.

Or rather, she was almost alone.

At the sound of the creaking doors, Marianne turned about, her heart leaping into her chest and her eyes focusing on the newcomer. She was both happy and stricken with horror to see it was Dimitri. His mouth dropped open in shock.

"I'm sorry." His voice was overlaid with hers, somehow, they both had begun to speak at the same time. Normally, this would have been cause for laughter, no doubt from any spectators who witnessed it. There were none, at least none that either of them could see or sense. It was just the two of them, the prince and noblewoman left in stunned, uncomfortable silence at the surprise meeting between the two.

The noblewoman decided to go first. "I-I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to-"

"Marianne, I was the intruder here. I was…not aware there'd be anyone here at the cathedral, not at this late an hour." Spoke the blond, his voice as calm as could be. It were his eyes that gave him away, eyes filled with sorrow, no doubt from the events of his mission. "I apologize, I'll-"

"I'm sorry." Marianne blurted out. "I…I mean…I…about Lord Lonato, I was…praying for the safe passage of his soul, and those who followed him, and for the goddess to forgive him." She explained keeping her focus on the floor. Her ears registered the sound of his footsteps, quietly, she braced herself for whatever response was to come. A minute passed and nothing happened giving her cause to look up. Dimitri had taken a seat about three feet or so away from her; he was being mindful of the personal bubble she tried to maintain.

"I came to pray as well." Admitted the prince in a sorrowful voice. "I already came her before with Ashe and the others but…I feel I must do more. He deserves it, as does Lonato and all the others that we had to…"

Her fingers curled against her palms as she listened, and eventually settled for the mournful silence that followed. Marianne wondered how long it could last, which one of them would be the first one to speak. What would she say? What could she say? Immediately, guilt and uncertainty began to eat away at her to the point she felt a desire to rise to her feet and leave.

"The Professor was the one who…struck Lonato down. He…told us to make sure Ashe didn't witness it, he didn't want him to see it." Spoke the blue-caped teenager, his voice heavy with sorrow. When he looked up, he saw the blood-soaked grass that that served as the battlefield for their professor and the wayward noble. The fog had cleared, yet moisture still hung in the air. It went side by side with the smell of blood and fire. "I…when they fought, I knew that the professor would win. Maybe it was because after fighting alongside him, I've seen how skilled a combatant he is, but I…a part of me wanted to intervene. A part of me felt like it should have been my duty but…he stopped me. Hours after the rebellion had been surpassed, we spoke to one another. He explained to me that it was his duty to shoulder responsibility for such acts; he was quite morbid about it."

"H-He was? P-Professor Eisner?" She didn't mean for her response to come out so shocked, but it did. Needless to say, she heard of the professor's reputation as a rather stoic man. He wasn't completely stoic though, as she'd seen him display genuine emotion and empathy and curiosity, specifically around other people, including herself. Quietly, she took in the information. Once she did, she decided to add her two cents. "I believe it's because he…figured he was the one to do it. He wanted to spare the rest of you, especially Ashe, the pain of doing so."

"That's…what he said." Dimitri answered. He didn't say it openly, but the near resigned look on his teacher's face as he explained himself, it spoke of experience. Their teacher had been a mercenary for the better part of ten years, and in those ten years he flat out told him that he'd slain countless people, but never took any enjoyment out of it. Thinking on it, Dimitri was relieved to have heard that; he wasn't sure if he'd been able to look at Professor Byleth the same way if he'd said something different. "He told me that he'd shoulder the burden of whatever agony Ashe suffered…including a potential betrayal. I…it showed me how lacking I was in terms of my duties."

"L-Lacking? W-What do you mean by that?" Questioned the devoted teenager.

"I am set to one day assume the throne of Faerghus, that means I will have to…make decisions, decisions that will likely not sit well with all. Including those in my inner circle." Explained the blond. What the girl beside him saw was a dark cloud, one quite similar to her own, had descended over the prince. She kept quiet on it as the prince continued to speak his piece. "I should have been the one to do something about Lonato, instead I…I feel as if I passed off the responsibility to the Professor. It feels…shameful." Dimitri finished with a heavy sigh. "Then again, I honestly don't know if I could have brought myself to do it on account of Ashe. I…I…"

The way he trailed off showed that he was waiting for an answer, it was no doubt the entire reason he had come to the cathedral at this late an hour.

Marianne dearly wished that he could be given one. Try as she might, she couldn't believe that the goddess would give it. That left only one person left-her. But what answer could she give? Especially when her poisonous existence might have accidentally licked over into the Blue Lions House? What if that was the reason their mission had ended on such a depressing note.

Her hands moved from her knees to lacing together. A part of her wanted to stay quiet, but another part of her wanted to speak up. One side eventually overtook the other. "I…I believe Professor Eisner did what he needed to do, for Ashe's sake, and yours." Heart racing, she looked up, meeting the prince's gaze. It was striking how emotional his eyes could be, bright blue pools that swirled with life, but were now weighed down by sorrow. "My adoptive father…he…he didn't coddle me, but he didn't put me through anything he felt I couldn't handle. Instead, he showed me how to handle that which was beyond my ability. He told me to watch him and learn as best I could, for one day it would eventually be me having to make these choices and perform these acts. I believe that's the kind of approach that Professor Eisner might have been taking with you, especially since he knows how much you care about the rest of the Blue Lions, your classmates."

His eyes widened as if she'd just spoken the word of the goddess. As much as Marianne liked to think so, she had hardly done that. She'd merely spoken what she believed was the right thing, and what Dimitri needed to hear. It was absolutely ridiculous, but it was preferable to doing nothing and letting him wallow away. She did what she could, and she could only hope that helped.

Seconds ticked by turning into minutes in which she waited. Quietly, she resigned herself to yet another failure.

"Marianne, thank you." Spoke the blond prince, which caused Dimitri to do a double-take. "Though I pray that a time such as that never comes…when it does, I can't leave it all onto the Professor. It isn't fair to him; it is in fact cowardly of me."

"I-I…um, you are welcome, D-D-Dimitri." She stammered out feeling an odd sense of relief. It seemed she'd gotten something right. "P-Professor Eisner, how was he in the…aftermath of it all?"

His expression went from joyous to sullen. "He was saddened, much like the rest of us. I remember he talking to Catherine, no doubt trying to get more details as to how this rebellion had came about. They both pulled me aside and told me that the Western Church might have been involved." Out of the corner of her eyes, Marianne watched the way Dimitri's hands tightened, turning into fists. It was only for an instant, but it was certainly there. "I fear that this incident is not over yet, so I must steel myself for what lies ahead. And hope that I can do something to help Ashe. He-"

_**BOOM! **_

"And it seems our homecoming is complete." Mused the blue-caped teenager.

"I-I'm sorry." Automatically spoke the blue-haired girl causing the other to look to her in surprise.

"What are you apologizing for? If I hadn't been here, you would have been able to finish your prayer and be back inside, I'm the one who should be apologizing." Dimitri countered, his acute ears registering the boom of thunder and pouring rain outside. It had indeed been fortunate they'd made it back before the storm hit.

Marianne could hear the storm outside as well. It had been quite cloudy when she sunk out. She'd known that there was a possibility of getting caught in the rain, but she didn't mind, or thought she could beat the rain. She supposed she was wrong on the latter account, but that left the former.

Rising to her feet, she bowed to the prince. "I-I hope that things turn out well for you and your housemates, D-D-Dimitri." She was at least clear-headed enough she didn't trip on her way to the door, at least before stopping and looking back at him. To her surprise, she saw he'd gotten up and followed her. Thankfully, he was still keeping a respectful distance from her. Surprisingly, she managed to keep her own cool as she directed her focus to him. "D-Dimitri, t-thank you for returning my jacket, and…could you please pass my gratitude onto Professor Byleth? F-For the lance I mean."

A minute passed, then recognition dawned in his eyes. With a nervous laugh, the prince scratched the back of his head. Marianne fought the urge to smile. "Well, it was more of the Professor's idea, an experiment of his if I recall. I'm happy to hear that it's served you well and hope that it will continue to do so."

She nodded in acceptance of his words, yet somewhere inside, the curiosity in her grew stronger. "Professor Eisner made more weapons like mine?"

"From this point onward, I believe he will. Your lance was actually the first he made, or commissioned the Blue Lions to make. This was without a doubt, a first for us. That said, Annette was quite eager to give it a try." A smile grew as he remembered the forging process and how it had gone. His orange-haired housemate had practically been bouncing with excitement from their success at infusing magic with a weapon, using magic to help speed along the forging process to hours instead of days. Meanwhile, their professor had looked on with the faintest hint of a smile on his face, it partially growing when he looked to Annette. "If anything ever happens to it, just stop by the Blue Lions class and we'll do our best to fix it up."

Knowing her luck, she'd stop by one day, and a forging would go wrong and perhaps result in someone getting injured or worse. Quietly, she vowed to herself that should any repair work need to be done on her gifted weapon, she wouldn't burden the Blue Lions with the task. Outside, just beyond the massive doors, another crack of thunder boomed.

"Please, stay behind me, I'll try to shield you as best I can." Dimitri said already pushing at the doors. Marianne was taken aback by how easily they were moved aside by his simple touch. She had heard something about him being stronger than average.

And of course, had had the kindness needed to manage it.

Marianne told herself that it was because of the weather that her cheeks were blushing a light shade of pink as the two of them hurried through the rain. There was barely two inches of space between the two of them, there was barely an inch of space period. The blue shoulder cape that marked him as a House leader was being used to shield her from the rain, completely disregarding his own safety. It was such a gentlemanly thing to do, but she was undeserving of the act. In spite of that, Marianne couldn't quite bring herself to pull away from him. A voice in her head told him that it would be rude to do so, especially since they were already half-way to the dorms. Given her background, she was placed in the same building as him, the building reserved for the nobility of the academy.

Sweet relief came when they finally made it inside of the dormitory. They took a moment to warm up, and shake themselves free of their wet clothes. Neither would be able to discard them until they were back in the confines of their own rooms, which wouldn't be long. Dimitri stepped away, taking the time to wrench what water he could from his shoulder cape. It had certainly been dyed a darker shade of blue than it had originally been. The same couldn't be said for Marianne's hair, which had remained mostly dry thanks to Dimitri's efforts.

"G-Goodnight, a-a-and thank you, Dimitri." She said as she stepped away from him, the heat thankfully fading from her cheeks and her heart rate decreasing.

"I should be the one thanking you, you did far more for me than I did for you, Marianne." Spoke the prince in response. "First you gave me a weapon, and then you gave me guidance in my moment of doubt, I'm almost willing to wager my luck is increased around you."

Her brown eyes widened hearing that. "L-Luck?" A cold shiver ran through her. The urge to merely take off running hit her in full force, yet somehow Marianne managed to suppress it. "G-Goodnight, Dimitri." At the very least she was able to get that statement out before taking off as fast as she could, again. The thud of her boots against the wooden flower were no doubt echoing in the dorms, but Marianne didn't care about that. She had to get back inside, before Dimitri's statement was proven so incredibly wrong. She'd already done enough damage to him.

The prince watched her leave, a slight aching in his heart.

_She always seems to do this, take off as if I've said something to offend her. Am I doing that?_ He sincerely hoped that wasn't the case, and if it was, he couldn't help but wrap his mind around how to correct that perception. Whenever he interacted with Marianne, he always felt something…peculiar about her. Sadly, their interactions always seemed cut short before he could get a beat on it. With a mental sigh, he noted how the answers wouldn't come to him standing in the hallway, especially when a vast majority of his fellow classmates were in bed sleeping. Dimitri himself felt a yawn coming on signaling his own exhaustion. Something told him as soon as his head hit the pillows, he'd be out like a candle whose flame had been blown out.

He hoped.

Privately, he was happy that his door stood unguarded meaning that Dedue was no doubt still asleep. Dimitri quietly feared returning to his dorm only to find his retainer awaiting him. The darker-skinned teen needed his rest just as much as the rest of them.

"_He told me to watch him and learn as best I could, for one day it would eventually be me having to make these choices and perform these acts."_ Try as he might, he couldn't help but think to his own father and wonder how he would have behaved. Of course, Dimitri knew if his father were still alive, there was a high chance that Lonato's rebellion might not have happened at all. He mentally caught himself before he could stumble down onto that path. Instead, he chose to focus on the fact that Marianne had given him advice that he was likely sorely going to need.

It felt good receiving advice, advice that he sorely needed. While he'd been raised and learned in the art of politics, there was still a line between politics and human emotions and the feelings that sprang up in one's heart when faced with an unexpected dilemma. This won't be the last time he was faced with such a dilemma; he was staring down a future of it because of the lineage he'd been born into. A lineage that he had to live up to, for the sake of his friends and his nation.

* * *

**Originally, I did want this chapter to intermix with the main story, specifically the aftermath of Lonato's rebellion. Some time ago I came upon a post on reddit talking about how seasonal weather and such could have been included in the gameplay, especially since each new month begins with a short introduction and voiceover describing it and what usually goes on. As it happens, the month that Lonato rebels is the month when the rainy season begins. Sorrow and rain tend to go together really well, don't they? I also spaced things out since as another post called to mind, most students have to travel across Fódlan for assigned missions, which would logically take a few days. On top of that I bumped up the time frame of missions a bit since logically, subduing a personal rebellion like Lonato's would be the type that the Blue Lions would want to do as quickly as possible instead of waiting until the end of the month (Flayn's kidnapping being another). **

**Next chapter should be up in a week or so, and fit more into the hurt/comfort category as I get a bit more mileage out of the weather. Until then!**


	4. Chapter 4-Small Steps Forward

**Hey, everyone. Sorry for the long hiatus from this story. I'm back and so too is this story so let's dive right on in. **

**I do not own anything.**

* * *

_**Chapter 4-Small Steps Forward**_

Though Marianne told herself not to, she kept a loose eye on the Blue Lions, in particular Ashe. She too knew what it felt like to lose family, albeit not to death. Granted, for all she knew her birth parents might have actually been dead by now. It wasn't a thought that she liked to dwell on. In fact, she didn't like to think too much about her parents at all, which made her concern for the Blue Lions' resident archer rather hypocritical, but she couldn't help it. Her heart swelled with sympathy of the archer, who'd lost the last parental figure that he'd had, and at the hands of his professor no less.

As Marianne watched, she couldn't help but note a slight change in Professor Eisner as well. As she had discussed with Dimitri, the blue-haired swordsman seemed rather…mournfully. In the week that had passed since the Blue Lions' return, it had become near common knowledge that he had been the one to kill Lord Lonato, the slaying only added to the reputation of the Ashen Demon, an emotionless killer who could cut his way across a battlefield leaving death in his wake without batting an eye. Such stories had been used as propaganda on campus; it was an example of why Marianne preferred to keep her head down and stay out of trouble. In a way, she was still doing that…but she was occasionally poking her head up. Marianne had a feeling that her adoptive father would be proud of her. She was using some of his tactics after all.

The Blue Lions were a close-knit group, which wasn't all too surprising considering they were centered on the Prince of Faerghus himself. He was a caring and thoughtful young man as Marianne herself had personally discovered. She watched from the shadows, like a lingering specter really, as he tended to his classmates in the aftermath of their mission alongside the Professor. They both were understandably focused on consoling Ashe. It was…interesting to see, even if it was from the shadows.

Dimitri was trying to break down the barrier between the nobility and commoners, something that the blue-haired girl had to admit she was somewhat approving of. She couldn't quite place her finger on it, but there was something comforting in seeing the prince interacting with one of his subjects. Or trying to anyway. If Marianne had to guess, it was a combination of lingering trauma and the archer's own nervousness that somewhat kept him at a distance from his house leader. Neither of those stopped Dimitri from reaching out to him during their spear practice, nor did he let the fact that they were practicing go unnoticed.

As usual, his fighting style was near flawless, or at least it appeared that way to the Leicester Alliance noble. She could tell that he was holding back a great deal as to teach Ashe instead of defeat him. He was like her, learning the ways of the spear, and like her being offered a helping head by the Prince of Lions.

"Enjoying the show? Have you picked one out yet?"

Marianne's cry of alarm was only barely contained by Hilda's hand slapping over her mouth, and even then, her own muffled scream still somewhat rung in her ears. Widened brown eyes stared into mischievous pink of the axe-wielding Hilda. Within seconds, Marianne's panic subsided, replaced by a small annoyance and her racing heart beat; it was like thunder in her ears. As Hilda removed her hand, she snickered while Marianne took a few moments to catch her breath. She'd honestly lost track of how many times they'd done this; it probably wouldn't matter as the school year wasn't even close to being over with meaning she had plenty more opportunities to get the drop on Marianne. While she recovered, she craned her head around the pillar. To her relief, neither Dimitri nor Ashe had noticed her, or Hilda.

The pig-tailed girl was looking at her with that same mischievous smile. "Like I said, enjoying the show? It's a treat to get to see the prince of Faerghus at work, and practicing with a commoner of all people! Hey, why don't you go join them?"

"N-No, H-Hilda, t-t-that would be a terrible idea." Retorted the blue-haired girl being sure to keep her voice down. If she lost control of herself did the Faerghus natives could end up noticing and that was one confrontation that she so desperately wanted to avoid.

Unfortunately, in doing so she only piqued Hilda's curiosity. "Any explanation for that? Will they start fighting over you if they noticed us? I think I can solve that problem really easily." She too was keeping her voice down, though the words she was speaking were enough to make up for the small-sized volume.

Marianne felt like running away, she wanted to. As if pushing her toward it was the continued crack of the practice spears wielded by the Blue Lion students. She knew that the boys probably weren't going to be stopping any time soon so sticking around for much longer probably wasn't in her best interest. "W-We should probably get back to class."

"What? No, come on, I'm sure we can think of better things to do than head back to class for another boring lecture instead of actual combat practice like what they're getting! Speaking of which, why don't we go join them? That'll give you a chance to get closer to-"

"H-Hilda, n-no!" Pleaded the brown-eyed girl holding up her shaking hands. She was desperate now to end all of this, which meant she had to get Hilda off the topic of Dimitri and Ashe and onto something else. "I-I-I…I'll do all of your homework for the next week if you'll just leave with me!"

There was a surprise blink from the pink-haired girl. She certainly hadn't been expecting that one, but she was far from unwilling to let it slide. "Alright, alright, come on. I suppose it might be _too _cruel of me to have someone else stand in during Professor Hanneman's lessons."

"W-We could use them, I-I mean perhaps I could." Marianne muttered, a small light flickering within her as her hope was fulfilled. In spite of that, she turned her head back to the training grounds. The practice match between Dimitri and Ashe had stopped as the two had moved onto talking. From what she could hear, the prince was once more making an earnest attempt to reach out to the shorter boy…and he appeared to be taking it. His face went through the emotions of sorrow that Marianne knew all too well, only to brighten up as Dimitri spoke of how he and the rest of the Blue Lions will support him through the ongoing sorrow. She couldn't help but feel a small twinkle dance within her as she watched the archer's mood brighten.

Again, it didn't go unnoticed by Hilda. "Ooor, we could stay here and keep on watching, your choice."

Thankfully, Marianne kept the "eep!" down to a minimum. Again, she looked to Hilda with a scandalized look. All she did was wink and giggle at her. Marianne's exhausted expression returned, somewhat heavier than before. She should have known when it came to Hilda, her odds of winning were always low, so incredibly low. It was perhaps one of the forms her curse had taken while here at Garreg Mach, albeit it was one that she was learning to live with just a little better.

While caught in the throes of her woes, Hilda wrapped an arm around the girl's neck surprising her. "If you're so worried about, why not go talk to them? Last I checked there's no rule against talking to people from other houses, commoner or not. Besides, if Prince Dimitri could do it, I'm sure so can you."

Immediately, the pious teen shook her head, her eyes wide and fearful "N-No, I-I can't." _It'd be too dangerous. I-I'd only make things worse for all of them. _Summoning some unseen well of strength, she took Hilda by the shoulders and began to push her away from the training field. They had to leave, she had to leave before they were noticed, or Marianne's Crest flared up. A training accident? The wrong words spoken causing a burst of anger? So many things could have gone wrong, and Marianne wanted to remove herself from the scene before anything could. It was for the best, for everyone's sake. She made a mental note to pray later after training with her housemates. As she and Hilda settled into an even pace, Marianne felt herself somewhat looking forward to training, it would allow her to divert her mind away from the Blue Lions and the aura of intrigue surrounding them.

* * *

_**Later on that night…**_

Marianne felt like she was slowly losing control of her body.

Instead of returning to bed, she was out here, creeping up on the silver-haired archer of the Blue Lions like some shadowy ghoul. In her defense, she was trying to return his lost room key to him.

"That's odd, I'm sure I had it moments ago." Murmured the archer to himself thinking that he was alone.

Apparently, he was so lost in thought that he failed to notice the Alliance girl's footsteps against the marble floor. "Um," she began.

"Ah! G-Ghost!" Screamed the commoner, practically jumping out of his uniform in fright. Marianne blinked in genuine surprise. Had he been that lost in thought? Had her voice been that…unearthly?

"Actually," Marianne started, a little taken back by his response.

"Goddess protect me, I-huh?" He nearly tripped over his feet as he spun around, fully expecting to see a ghastly specter before him. What he saw instead seemed to be a relief to him.

"Um, Ashe, does this key belong to you? I found it by the door." She innocently asked offering her outstretched palm to him. In the middle of it was a room key that she guessed the archer had dropped in front of the cathedral.

"M-Marianne? I-I'm so sorry. Yes, that's mine." He whizzed, slowly regaining his wits. "Thank you. Thank you so much, without this I probably would have been forced to lockpick my own door to get back in."

She'd heard that Ashe was thief before he was adopted by the late Lord Lonato. He was far from the first person with a less than ideal background to come to Garreg Mach. Matter of fact, the Church, or at least the Central Church, made a habit of taking in people like him. As she thought of Ashe having to lockpick his own door, Marianne felt a small tickle of amusement. It would certainly be a sight, albeit one that might end with the poor boy being accused of breaking into his own dorm room. No wonder he was looking so relieved at having to avoid such a potential embarrassment.

"You're welcome." She responded before gently bowing her head. "And my apologies for scaring you."

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry." He gently retorted. "Kind of ridiculous of me, mistaking a friend for a ghost."

Marianne blinked at him. Ashe considered _her _a friend? _Is every member of the Blue Lions Houses so…friendly?_ It wasn't like she and the archer hadn't had interactions before. They had, albeit not enough to the point that Marianne would consider the two of them friends. She had helped heal injuries he'd sustained while he and the other Blue Lions had returned from another mission. "N-No," she said shaking her head. "I-It's okay. I guess I do look like one." It hadn't been the first time that she'd been confused for a ghost, and certainly wouldn't be the last time either. The constant shadow under her eyes more than made her look quite ghoulish, then there was her…lack of presence until speaking, which she didn't like doing.

Quickly, Ashe spun into a series of denials. "No, of course you don't! It's just, I…um. In the dark, with your head down like that, and covering your eyes…I…uh." He was very clearly trying to choose his words careful as not to offend her. Marianne apricated the effort on his part.

"Does that make me look scary?" She questioned with a hint of curiosity in her voice. From the description, Ashe was making it sound like she really did look the part of some earthbound spirit.

From the archer's end, the darkness around her complimented the specter-like appearance that the Leicester Alliance girl possessed. It was more than a little unnerving, especially as she kept her head lowered. All that was missing were some eerie blue lights around her. "A-Ah! Please stop!"

Immediately, the noble recoiled. "I-I'm sorry that I look so ghastly…"

"Why not just lift you head up a little?" He offered hoping to change the mood, and heal whatever broken feelings he might have caused.

"U-Up?" Marianne repeated. Slowly, she raised her head, daring to meet his eye. "Like…this?"

"That's great!" He exclaimed, now breathing much easier. "You look completely normal now." Marianne felt her heart beat quicken just a little at the statement. Blinded by it, she failed to notice the faint blush on his face. "Actually, you look kind of cute."

"What did you say?" Asked the pious girl not having heard the archer as she was too caught up in her own thoughts.

"Hm? Ergh, um, nothing!" He quickly recovered. A silent breath of relief passed his lips at the fact that his last statement hadn't been heard. "J-Just keep your head up and smile! Do that and I promise you'll never be mistaken for a ghost again."

"Keep my head up…and smile?" Such simple advice. It should have been easy to be followed through on, but Marianne knew better than that. Such a thing wouldn't be easy for her, it was _impossible_. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I can." Concluding that she'd stayed long enough, Marianne turned and began to leave. She could pray once she got back to her room.

"What? Hey, wait! Was it something I said?" Questioned the young man to her retreating back.

The best thing for her to do would have been to ignore him and keep on going, but Marianne stopped just as she reached the door. A tightness was building within her and there was only one way to exercise herself of it. "N-No, you've said nothing wrong, Ashe." She answered. Slowly, she turned around and faced the archer. His face held genuine concern for her. A valuable sentiment, but again, wasted on someone like her. "Ashe," she started swallowing the lump in her throat. "How…how have you been since…since…your adoptive father's…passing? Are you…will?"

As expected, his face fell a little, sorrow wrapping its fingers around him. Immediately, Marianne cursed herself for asking such a question and readied an apology and quick exit. Ashe's voice stopped her. "I'd be lying if I didn't say that I was over it. It still hurts…and probably will continue to hurt for years to come, but I can't, I won't, let the pain stop me." His hand went to his chest, resting over his heart which Marianne was sure was beating at a faster pace. "I have a feeling you're going to ask me if I hate Professor Byleth for what he did."

"I-I'm sorry. I-It's not my place to intrude on what's a private matter." The magic-user stammered.

"No, no, it's alright. I know that…people have been talking, rumors. I know that there are some who're claiming I'm secretly plotting some murder plot on the Professor. I'd never do such a thing." The last part was spoken with a soft fortitude that surprised Marianne. "Professor Byleth came to me after the mission and…he…he bowed his head and told me if I want to kill him in revenge, I had every right to. I felt…I felt…sickened."

Tightening her clapped hands, Marianne dared to ask, "Did you…feel tempted to?"

"…A small part of me did, but I knew the Professor enough to know that killing Lonato wasn't something that he wanted to do, nor was it something he took pleasure in. Besides, if we didn't stop him then…" Every word was a struggle to get out, but Ashe continued to push onward. "Something in me tells me that there's more to this, and killing the Professor wouldn't have done any good for me, or the rest of the class. On top of that, if I did, what would happen to my brother and sister back home?"

"Y-Your…brother and sister?" Asked the Golden Deer student.

Ashe nodded. "Yes, my little brother and sister. When Lonato took me in, he also took in them as well. Even though he's gone, they're still being looked after. A miracle that I've thanked the goddess for." A warm smile grew along the Faerghus-native's face. It was somewhat unexpected, but Marianne had to admit deep down she was happy to see it. "Like I said, I won't deny that there's some anger and sadness in my heart, but that's not all there is to it. I have plenty more to be happy about. In order to protect those things that make me happy, I have to use the skills that I have and will gain from the Professor's tutelage to do that."

"Professor Eisner", Marianne repeated. "Do you…is he a…good teacher?" The previous conversation with Dimitri rung in her head, of how he had seemingly stepped up to lead the Blue Lions, and take responsibility for their mission to subdue Ashe's adoptive father. Such behavior was rather striking for a silent mercenary with a grim reputation.

His small smile brightened. "Oh, y-yes, he is. Professor Byleth is still new to teaching, but I can tell he's taken a liking to it, and us. Heh, he sure has helped me out a lot when it comes to archery. I wasn't expecting him to know so much, but he's helped be refine my marksmanship. What about you? I hear that Professor Hanneman can be a good teacher when he's…not er, droning on."

A ghost of a smile came to the girl's face. "He is…a sufficient teacher, especially when it comes to magic."

"And Crests, I imagine. I know that he's been watching those of us of the Blue Lions class since we seem to have a large number of Crest Bearers amongst our ranks. Speaking of which, Marianne, since you are a noble of the Alliance, do you possess a Crest as well?"

Immediately, the knot in Marianne's stomach tightened. "I-I-I'd r-r-rather not say. A-Anyways, it's quite late and I think it's for the best that we get to sleep! G-Goodnight, Ashe!" As she had before with the prince, she pushed through the doors and ran off, her shoes clacking against the stone ground. To her luck, this time it wasn't raining outside. Even if it was, Marianne would have pushed through it, running all the way through the rain and thunder. Looking back on her life, she noticed how stormy weather never quite affected her as much as it did others. Matter of fact, her body was able to handle cold and water a tad better than the average person, she chalked it up to being another power of her Crest in addition to her ability to speak to animals.

She didn't want anyone to know that though, not her housemates, not her professor, and most certainly not anyone else. If they did, well, Marianne shuddered to think of what the results would be.

Coming to a short stop, she looked up at the night sky. It was devoid of clouds allowing the stars to shine down upon the mortal world. Looking up at their radiance felt like a sin, yet she couldn't help herself. The fact that she was able to look up and bask in the celestial radiance was fortunate enough, but it had Marianne asking…how long would this fortune last?

* * *

_**Three Days later…**_

In retrospect, her talk with Professor Hanneman should have been a sign. It probably was, but one that she failed to read in time. Now, she was paying the price, or she would be in the future.

"So…as you all know, this mission will be one of the utmost seriousness. People's lives will be at stake, so all of you are to be expected to give it your very best. Duscur, Faerghusian, Almyran, it matters not for no one deserves to live their life in chains." Professor Hanneman was known for being a serious, if sometimes eccentric man. When the time called for it, the eccentrics went out the window living the stern and deadly capable mage to take center stage. That was the man who'd addressed the Golden Deer class. The previous jovial atmosphere in the classroom had evaporated as he'd explained what their next assignment would be.

Breaking up a slave caravan was no laughing matter unless one was in the mood for a very stern lecture, and not just from the Crest scholar himself.

Marianne had listened to the story with a growing sense of dread, for both herself and the unfortunate captives who were in the midst of being transported from the Kingdom into Alliance territory.

Officially, slavery had been outlawed in all of Fódlan, the great Saint Seiros herself declaring it an evil that was inexcusable. Sadly, not everyone obeyed that law, and if there was one thing that people tended to pick up on, it was how to skirt around or bend the law. Such things were common in the Leicester Alliance where every underhanded method imaginable was considered fair play in order to get ahead. Her adoptive father had off-handedly spoken to her of how during some of his visits he'd seen "indentured servitude" that was slavery in all but name. Especially when the "servant" in question was a person belonging to Duscur or Almyra or even rarer, a Dagdan. Marianne had a sinking feeling that it'd be more of the former two, especially the first, they'd be freeing on this mission. Her suspicions were only further fueled by the fact that this was going to be a join venture with the Blue Lions. After all, the intelligence was that the men responsible for this slave trade were former knights of Faerghus and some of the captives were Duscur natives. Marianne's stomach churned at whatever torment they might be facing now.

But would their lot improve if she was there? Surely her presence would only make their situation worse, like causing the mission to fail and their agony to increase two or even threefold.

While the rest of her classmates began to talk amongst themselves, she laced her hands together. They were trembling like leaves in a stormy wind.

What was she to do? She couldn't back out, not when the lives of countless innocent people were at stake, but she was cursed. Her curse would more than likely only make things worse for the captives. As she wrestled with herself on what to do, her brown eyes caught the lingering gaze of Professor Hanneman. His gaze wasn't piercing or accusatory, it was more one of worry. Marianne knew that he was silently asking her if she would stay after class for a quick talk. Naturally, it came after class temporarily ended for lunch; Marianne was going to be running late.

She stood before Professor Hanneman's desk. He looked as uncomfortable as she did.

"Miss Marianne," he began in a soft voice. "If you do not feel up to the up incoming mission then-"

"I-I want to go, P-Professor." Forcing the words out of her mouth were surprisingly easy. Could it be because somewhere deep down there was a hint of truth to them? "To turn my back on people in dire need…it would go against the teachings of the goddess…not to mention…I…I don't think I'd be able to live with myself doing such a thing."

"We will likely be forced to kill as these men we're going after have little regard for human life." Pressed the former Adrestian native. Though a scholar, he wasn't a complete stranger to the battlefield…nor was he a stranger to the nature of human cruelty. In fact, he knew quite a bit about the latter. What Hanneman also knew was that forcing the young and still somewhat naïve to confront that cruelty could end disastrously.

Marianne knew that as well, yet it wasn't like running away was an option for her. Not one she could truly say she wanted to take. "I have…already taken lives, before, Professor. I have taken life to defend myself…and my classmates, this time…I shall do so to end the wicked deeds of those who have chosen the path of evil." Where was this force in her words coming from? "I-I promise, I-I'll do my best not to get in the way."

The mustached man looked at her with a mixture of slight astonishment and sympathy. Folding his hands, he responded, "Miss Marianne, what I think would be best for you is to tend to any injured that we come across, including ourselves. These slavers are by no means kind men and women, their captives will likely be in horrid conditions and your healing magic may be the first step in what will likely be a long recovery process."

At that, Marianne flinched. While it was true she was the resident healer of the Golden Deer House, probably it's best healer, what she was being asked to do was…interact with a lot of people. Likely in the middle of a battle. One way or another, this was going to push her out of her comfort zone and into the great unknown. Already her legs shook at the dread she felt at what she would find waiting for her.

"As much as I know you may not like hearing this, we may require the aid of your Crest in the coming mission."

Marianne's already racing mind was swiftly cut in two by the Crest scholar's words. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked to him with wide and fearful eyes. Within her chest, her heart that had temporarily stopped began to beat again. Adamantly shaking her head, she did her best to keep her voice. "P-P-Professor H-Hanneman, I-I don't believe t-that's a good idea. M-My Crest…it brings nothing but disaster wherever I go."

"Perhaps you see it that way, but you have been attending classes and participating for going on two and a half months. In that time, I can think of no incidents, small or grave, that can be traced back to you or your Crest." Coolly responded the mage. His patience when it came to her was somewhat remarkable, though it was perhaps understandable as compared to some of the more…wild personalities of the Golden Deer students, Marianne was somewhat easy to talk to in spite of her desire to remain as under the nose as possible. Still, like all things that eventually had to end, and this mission was looking like a stepping stone to that point. Something that obviously terrified Marianne as evident by her widened and fearful gaze. "Miss Marianne," the professor started. "While you may believe your Crest to be a burden, it will only be so if you make it one. I have watched with my own well-seasoned eyes and seen that you can use it effectively. That is no doubt the reason why you were blessed with its power, to right the wrongs of this world."

She wanted to say that she hadn't been blessed, she'd been cursed, yet Marianne couldn't get the words out of her mouth. It was like they were frozen in the pit of her stomach and wouldn't move an inch. All she could do was dumbfoundedly nod her head and make it look like she'd found an ounce of courage when she had none. She didn't even have the willpower to say no. But then again, Marianne also realize that on some level she _didn't want _to say no.

As she left the classroom, she looked up toward the blue skies. Even with her cursed blood, she was lucky. Far luckier than countless people around the continent including these slaves whom they would be setting out to free in four days time.

"Hey, Marianne!"

Looking straight ahead, she saw Hilda approaching her. Rather than her usual bubbly expression, her brow was furrowed in naked concern. Marianne didn't have to think hard about what she was worried about.

There was something…uplifting in knowing that the pink-haired girl cared about her this much. "H-Hilda." She answered as the axe-user walked up to her. Sucking in a breath, Marianne said, "I-I'm going on the mission." She was understandably just as surprised as Marianne was herself.

"W-Woah, really? Great! With you there then we really will have nothing to worry about!" Exclaimed the pig-tailed girl. "We've got four days to prepare, but before all of that, let's go grab a bite to eat. Word is Professor Byleth and Manuela were on cooking duty! You know that that means, right?"

"N-No?" Sheepishly answered the faith healer. Honestly, she didn't know that much about the Professor of the Black Eagles class or the Blue Lions, albeit with the latter she was getting to know him a bit through his students. He was surprisingly compassionate and understanding for a "dead-faced mercenary". Regarding his cooking ability…she'd heard something about him liking beef jerky. How likely was it for Hilda to be excited for that? As she was pulled along Marianne judged such a thing to be very unlikely meaning whatever was being prepared had to be a treat.

"Marianne," Called the axe-user, her pace slowing in spite of the excitement she'd displayed earlier. Genuine concern laced her eyes as she looked back at her. It was quite a rare sight, especially since it was happening in broad daylight. "If you think you won't be able to do this then-"

"I-I want to, Hilda." Yet again, the strange burst of courage from deep within her forced the words out of her mouth. As their hands were still clasped together, she was able to reinforce her words with a squeeze. "This sort of mission…I…I wouldn't be a worthy to call myself a follower of the Sothis faith if I turned my back on a quest like this. People are suffering, facing down a lifetime of slavery…I…I can't run away from this. I can't leave those people to suffer."

At first, Hilda was quiet, but a smile slowly grew along her face. It was so bright Marianne couldn't help but be momentarily enticed by it. She returned the squeeze.

"Alright then, let's get going! We've got stomachs to fill and things to do before we head out to go rescue a few slaves! Even some Almyrans!"

Perhaps by the grace of the goddess, Marianne felt her stomach give a slight rumble as Hilda spoke. Being nervous apparently caused her to work up an appetite. Either that or it'd been so long since her last meal that the hunger was catching up to her. Thinking on it as they walked to the dining hall, she realized that she'd actually slept in and thus ended up just barely making it to breakfast. Quite embarrassing, but she hoped that the hunger in her would be sated once they got to the dining hall. A hope that was squandered.

"Shit." Muttered the bearer of the Crest of Gonreil. All Marianne did was squeak in response. To say that the line was long would have been an understatement, it practically stretched all the way to the door! Both girls scoured the line, spotting some familiar faces in Lorenz and Claude, the latter of whom waved at them with a sheepish grin. They were closer up than poor Ignatz and Lysithea; there was something comical in watching the white-haired girl smear as she was pushed and shoved by the line. "Think if we ask real nicely they'll let us cut in front of them?"

"H-Hilda, that would be rude. Besides, Claude is our House leader, we can't…" Again, her stomach growled causing a blush to spread across the healer's face. "Um, what was today's special again?"

"Sauteed fish cooked by Professors Eisner and Manuela." Hilda said in an almost dream-like tone. It was understandable as Marianne had been lucky enough to sample Professor Manuela's cooking, the woman was a master chef. For the blue-haired swordsman, she'd heard only rumors. "Daaamnit! I was looking forward to a meal prepared by the two of them!"

Like a switch to a draw bridge, Marianne ducked her head. "I-I'm so sorry, Hilda."

The healer jumped as she felt a pair of hands be placed on her shoulders Looking up, she saw the smiling face of her best friend. "Hey, don't worry about it. This happens sometimes, but it's not the end of the world, and it certainly doesn't mean that we're going to starve…nor does it mean we may be missing out on getting our serving of fish." She finished with a wink.

In a heartbeat, Marianne knew what Hilda was planning…and didn't quite feel up to the task of stopping her. It wasn't like she was ever able to stop her from taking advantage of others. Granted, her pink-haired friend never took things too far, she'd learned that Hilda had a moral compass that she could appreciate and it made their friendship possible. Still, her…manipulations could be a tad tough to handle sometimes. Marianne especially thought it made for a deadly combination with her Crest. Who knows if things could go wrong?

"Um, execuse me, ladies."

Her ears buzzed at the familiar voice. Like a fish on a lore, she snapped her head to the right, finding the blue-capped prince of Faerghus approaching the two of them.

"D-D-Dimitri," She greeted on impulse. He smiled at her causing Marianne to squirm where she stood and her heart to flutter.

"Why hello, prince Dimitri, I see you've got your serving of your professors delicious cooking already." Chirped Hilda with a glittering look in her eyes. One could practically see the gears turning in her head as she thought of the best way to swindle him out of a portion of the sautéed fish on his plate.

"Indeed I have, this is actually my second serving." He admitted, either clueless or undeterred by the pink-haired girl's voice and mannerisms. His gaze swerved over to Marianne's; Dimitri's blue eyes briefly flashed. "Um, if it'll save you two the trouble of waiting in line…here."

"H-Huh?" Questioned pious girl. "M-Me? D-D-Dimitri, I-I can't accept this. I-It's yours, y-you-"

"I have already had my helping of today's special curtsy of Professor Byleth." Answered the prince with a sheepish smile.

"Man, you Blue Lions are so lucky that your professor knows how to cook, you guys and the Black Eagles, meanwhile, we're stuck with Professor Hanneman who couldn't cook to save his life, or ours." Bemoaned the axe-wielder. Quick as lightning, her expression brightened as she reached forward and took hold of the plate, being surprisingly delicate in her gripping of it. Hungry and happy as she was, Hilda wasn't blind to the fact that they were being watched. She had absolutely no desire to cause bad blood with the Blue Lions House…_especially _the Faerghus prince's retainer, who sat at a wooden table not too far away. "Thank you, Prince Dimitri."

"Just Dimitri is fine, Hilda." Responded the blond with an easy-go smile. His gaze quickly moved back over to Marianne, who blushed as his blue eyes fell on her. "U-Um, c-c-consider it an early thank you for allowing us Blue Lions in on the up incoming mission to the Kingdom-Alliance border."

As she accepted the food tray, Hilda shot a sideways smile in her friend's direction. While she gave a polite thank you, she gently judged Marianne on the side. The blue-haired girl nearly jumped at what barely qualified as a love tap.

Clasping her hands together in front of her, she bowed. "T-T-Thank you, a-and we, I, promise to do our best on the mission." Shooting Hilda a desperate look, she pleaded for them to take their seat. The pig-tailed girl gave a short laugh and lead her away. They'd splint the sauteed fish between the two of them.

As he watched them leave, Dimitri felt a soft hand come down upon his shoulder. "My king, I am so damn proud of you. You're learning!"

Rolling his eyes at his house's philanderer, Dimitri watched the two ladies take their seat. A majority of their classmates had already gotten in line. Claude waved and winked to him as he and Lorenz went to join their female housemates. Smiling, he shrugged his shoulders and turned around to face Sylvain. He had crumbs on his face, and thankfully no hand-shaped red mark nor did he smell like perfume.

"Is it just me, or do you seem a little…happier than usual?" Questioned the blond prince.

The orange-haired cavalier used a napkin to wipe his mouth before smiling at him. "Oh, I have my reasons, my good friend. Let's just say that there's a peculiar scent in the air, and I don't just mean the smell of coming spring."

"This smell wouldn't happen to be-"

"Hey, hey! No need to bring that up, especially while we're here in the dining hall where anyone could be listening." Whispered the horseman in a hushed tone.

Deciding to let the statement slide, he tore his eyes away from the Golden Deer and back to the kitchen counter where his teacher and the Black Eagles instructor stood. They'd practically taken over the kitchen for the afternoon, running it like a pair of master class chefs. Professor Manuela looked to be having the time of her life, but what truly warmed Dimitri's heart was seeing his own professor. He was smiling, small as it was, it was still a smile. It brightened as it occasionally drifted toward his brunette cooking partner.

_Even with darkness on the horizon, it seems that the light hasn't abandoned us yet._

* * *

_**Kingdom-Alliance Southeastern Border, Four days later…**_

The mist, a weather phenomenon that usually followed after rain. With it always came a tension that seemed suffocating yet so easily breakable. For as long as humanity could remember, there always seemed to be something dangerous and uncertain lurking in the mist thus preventing travel through it. In defiance of that, mankind learned of ways to bring light to the world where there was none. Torches were the mundane yet simple solution.

Moving through the mist was a human centipede alight by a set of torches, physical and magical, providing illumination to the slave traders on their way into Leicester Alliance territory. Practically everyone was armed, even the mages carrying with them a short dagger just in case the situation called for it. Namely said situation was in the unlikely case that one of the slaves escaped and got in close enough for their magic to be rendered worthless. The sorcerers scuffed at such a notion; several had not issue blasting the unfortunate souls with fire or lightning thus ending their lives if they stepped out of line. Some even relished the thought.

One look at the faces of the dozens of men and women shackled behind iron bars and one would have been hard-pressed to find anyone even thinking of the idea. They were desponded, broken, which was just what the slavers wanted.

"How much longer until we're at the rendezvous point?" Asked one of the lead mages, a man with dark red hair and cold red eyes that cackled with annoyance. He'd seen enough of mist and fog for the last two days and was looking forward to the bright and sunny weather of the Alliance's southern half.

"Just a little further," Responded his compatriot, a knight in scarred gray armor. Once upon a time, he might have been a knight of Faerghus, perhaps aspiring to live up to the ideals of chivalry that were the bedrock of his nation. That time had long since passed as he looked back from atop his horse. Green eyes stared through the torch-lit air at the carts containing the slaves that he and his men had apprehended and planned on selling. He felt nothing in the way of sympathy for them, especially for those who were from the wasteland that was now Duscur. Putting a blade through each of their black hearts would have been enjoyable, but there was no money to be made in it. "Once we reach the rendezvous point, we'll take that passage way through the mountains then we'll be home free. I've been paid off the right people so we won't have to worry about that a thing."

"Always have it planned out, don't you, Sanson?" Chirped the mage to which his friend chuckled.

"Well, someone has to, or at least someone has to plan things out on a business level. Not all problems can be solved with a spell blast to the face, Auben." Replied the make brunette. "Quite striking since I'm the knight and you are the mage."

A dismissive snort sounded from the sorcerer. He always disliked the notion that knights and mages were supposed to adhere to some sort of brawn and brains stereotype, not that he was lacking in the brains department. Auben simply refused to have his brains wasted away serving an idiot who was just a stand-in, or wait for some incompetent brat to take said idiot's place. No, he was much more comfortable here, using his talents to make himself rich.

As he peered through the mist and saw the approaching horsemen, he chuckled. He and his best friend were about to make themselves another pretty penny, and in his opinion clean up Faerghus a little bit even though they were no longer loyal to the kingdom. His right hand alit by a magical torch, he raised his hand to signal them. A shiver ran through him seconds later.

"Sanson! There's-gah!"

Chaos erupted like a water sprout. The horses the two men had been riding suddenly bucked and reared back, nearly tossing them from the saddles. They weren't alone as behind them the other horses of the caravan began to follow suit. The once orderly line descended into pandemonium in the mist. In the midst of the chaos, those at the rear end noticed that some members of their party were missing.

For those at the rear end, it was the last thought they had before death claimed them via swords and spears, all seemingly bursting out of the mist with the speed of lightning.

Torches were dispersed, or transformed into blasts of fire that shot out in multiple directions lighting up the formerly obscured grassy field that they were traveling through. What was also illuminated was snow-white figure of a pegasus swooping through the air. The mages gasped in shock as they saw the winged horse approaching; those gasps became their last words as a spear passed through their flesh, some losing their heads. Others lost their lives to a sword which moved through the air with the swiftness of lightning. Just as spells were charged up, their casters fell to the ground, either dead or dying or screaming in agony as they were now bleeding out, or barefoot an arm.

"Sanson!" Shouted the red-eyed mage hurling himself off his horse. "Your horse, get off of it, no!"

Reluctantly, the rogue knight did as his mage friend had asked. He had to otherwise his steed would topple to the ground and likely end up crushing one of his legs. Hitting the ground on his backside, he looked up and watched with shock as his horse continued to buck and weave about almost like it was being commanded by some invisible voice. "Auben! Auben, is this magic!"

"Possibly, heads up!" Now on his feet, the former kingdom sorcerer directed his attention forward at the two shadows that they'd seen through the mist. They weren't the ones who who'd been sent to receive them, they were knights, the Knights of Seiros. Their presence meant one thing-they'd been made, and it was now fight or die. Auben's hands lit up with magic circles from which a stream of fireballs were launched out. "Sanson!"

The rogue knight was on his feet and had his sword drawn, a look of violent anger on his face as he realized that their delivery had been interrupted. "Kill them! Everyone, kill them all and hold onto the cargo!" His words were lost in the chaos of the fight that had broken out just a few yards away from the forest that sat in the shadow of one of the many mountains separating the Kingdom from the Alliance. High overhead, the mist began to loosen allowing the first rays of sunlight to begin to penetrate the fog.

* * *

When Marianne reached into the minds of the ravens flying overhead, she found only murderous fury. In an instant, she realized that these birds had been trained, altered by magic. She bit her lip as she realized unless she took more drastic action then they would alert the rest of the slavers and potentially even impede their attempt to free the slave.

_Goddess, forgive me. _Muttered the healer as she raised both hands. Her normally downcast brown eyes lit up with determination as she channeled the magical energy through her body. It was fortunate that the air was so thick with moisture from the storm the night before, it made it easier for her to cast her magic.

The rest of the group yelped in surprise as several chunks of ice fell to the wet ground in front of them. Jaws dropped as they realized they were birds, frozen solid, and some lying in pieces; being frozen solid, one had to wonder if the creatures even realized they were dead. Ashe recovered from his shock to look back at Marianne, who continued on grim-faced. Shelving his shock, he moved onward with the rest of the group toward their targets.

At Marianne's behest, the rampaging horses came to a stop bringing with them a stop to the cages that held countless people, all dressed in rags. Acting quickly, Ashe and Ignatz pulled back on the strings of their bows and let fly the arrows. The binds holding the cages to the horses were broken in an instant. Shouldering his bow across his shoulder, Ashe sprung into action, quickly picking the lock on the first cage. At the second, Dedue barked orders to the captives behind the bars in his native language. Between seeing him and hearing the noses outside, they realized what was going on and fell back. Marianne watched in silent amazement as the brown-skinned man gripped the cage bars and quite literally tore them away. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she marveled at the Duscurian's strength. He might have been stronger than Raphael!

Quickly shaking her head, she stopped and turned around, her hands shooting out with magically energy giving them a pale blue glow. Around them arose a wall of ice almost seven-feet high. Again, creating the ice was easy with the abundant moisture in the air, and shaping it was just as easy. Marianne had always had a talent for ice magic, a combination of wind and water magic. Times like this, she truly thanked the goddess for that talent. Beyond the wall, she could make out the shapes of figures doing battle, her fellow classmates and the Knights of Seiros clashing with the slavers, who'd been caught completely by surprise. They had the advantage on their side, and they were using it.

Even while she kept the ice wall up, Marianne allowed herself to look back at the newly freed slaves. Surrounded by the protection of the Hilda, Ashe, Ignatz, and direction of Dedue, they were being ushered across the field toward a set of wagons that they'd brought along. Those requiring aid were being carried, either by students and knights or their fellow slaves. Fear was no doubt racing through them, fear and a mixture of hope at the possibility they would be able to live free. Marianne wanted to safeguard that hope, she _would _safeguard it.

"Everyone, heads up! They're coming in over the top!" Hilda shouted, her face devoid of any playfulness. At times like this, the pig-tailed girl knew when to drop the humor and jokes. Seeing the haggard state of the slaves certainly helped.

Three men came up, a gust of wind helping propel them over the ice wall. They all came down to the earth dead.

Hilda threw one of the many hatchet axes she'd brought along with near marksman-like precision, hitting one of the slavers right in the chest. He hit the ground with a sickening crunch as the axe was pushed deeper into his chest via landing on the ground. Both Ashe and Ignatz let fly several arrows, their own marksmanship showing as they hit the outlaws in the chest and face. Such accuracy was astounding as they were still shrouded in a blanket of mist, albeit the mist was lifting.

_Boom! Boom! _

Heart racing, Marianne swerved her gaze back to her front to find her ice wall had been blasted open. Rushing through the gap were three bandits, one of them locking eyes with her. Vile rose in her throat and her legs shook as she registered the pure hatred that the axe-wielder held for her. In spite of it, Marianne managed to find some shred of courage as her arms were held out. Mana surged through her and leaked out into the air. The mist that had been blown away swirled around her, condensing into several shards of ice that were launched at the bandit trio. Pain-filled cries sounded from the trio, two of whom collapsed to the ground in bloody heaps. The last one didn't collapse, he kept on charging at her, screaming in murderous rage at her. He wanted nothing more than to splint Marianne in two.

Her hands clapped around the shaft of her spear, the tip glowing a faint blue. That blue light flashed as Marianne twirled to the bandit's right side, her lance moving in a swift arc. Blood gushed from the man's leg and right side. For a second, Marianne hesitated, praying that the wounds she felt the man on top of the ice shards embedded in him would be enough to stop him. She was proven wrong.

"You…little…bitch! I'll kill you! Rip your rotten little-gah!" Those were the last words out of his mouth as the spear of the priest pierced his backside and came out through his chest. The formerly pristine silver metal was dyed red with blood.

Marianne bowed her head and quietly prayed for the man's soul. Over the next second, she took some time to catch her breath. She needed to. Her hands shook as she held fast to her lance, the personally crafted weapon that Dimitri had given her, and had just used to preserve her own life and save those of countless others.

"Hey, Marianne! That was pretty good! You've gotten better at handling that lance!" Hilda exclaimed, her trademark cheeriness back. Hosting her bloodstained axe over her shoulder, she winked at her. "You're getting better at this."

"O-Only because I have to, not because I want to." Her nose wrinkled at the smell of blood, which was now heavy in the air. The sounds of battle rung in her ear like the claps of thunder that had once blanketed the land last night. That storm was preferable to the one she was in the midst of now. "The others, the slaves, are they alright?"

"Yep, they should be far enough away that the first detachment of knights be able to cover them." Replied the axe-wielder. She spun around on her heel to face the rest of the battle. From what she could see, the end was at hand as their side was rapidly overcoming the slavers, now in complete disarray and even shock that they were being outfought by a bunch of kids. "Say, feel like just hanging back and letting the rest of this mess sort itself out? I mean, we've done most of the heavy-lifting so…"

Her grip on her lance tightened. Rather from nervousness or the humidity, sweat poured down Marianne's exposed skin. From a fierce roar to a dull echo, her heart beat at a steady rhythm inside of her chest. It was speaking to her.

"I-I'm…this fight isn't over yet, Hilda."

Briefly, the pinkette raised an eyebrow at her friend's steely determination. Her wilily smile brightened as she lifted her axe. "Then let's get going, and try to stay close to me so I can watch your back and you can watch mine!"

There would be a time for her to question what led her to make such a choice, but that time would come later, after the battle was over with, he slaves had been liberated and the slavers and bandits either captured or burning in the eternal flames. So far, they were making great headway into doing that.

She'd kept her Crest's power humming along, having called it forth from the depths within her. It wasn't something she liked doing, but what she liked and didn't like didn't matter at the moment. The trained attack dogs that the slavers barked and snapped at their former owners at her behest, the four wyverns that the group had with them shook off their riders in a madden fury and horses ran wild, free of their riders. Marianne asked them, _begged _them to flee to the forest as not to die. All of them listened save for one wyvern, whose rider climbed back on and took flight again. Marianne could see them taking to the clearing skies. Her heart slammed against the rib cage of her chest in seeing the two in flight. Without a doubt they were going to head toward the freed slaves. Marianne couldn't let that happen; in seconds she made her choice.

As the lance Professor Eisner had crafted for her was attuned to her magic, it could do things that an ordinary spear couldn't. She'd found that the weapon could extend for a few feet giving her some extra reach with it.

Sucking in a breath, Marianne held the spear in her right hand while moving her left. There was still a healthy amount of water vapor in the air making things easier for her. Still, creating a stairway of ice was no easy feat; however, it was a feat she accomplished none the less. The ice sculpture was crude and rocky, but solid enough and high enough for Marianne to get several feet off the ground and get a lock on the Wyvern Lord. She could sense the beast's thoughts, sense its bloodlust as it sniffed out the escaped slaves. Her Crest manifested behind her as she reached forward and violently grabbed the flying reptile's attention. Against its riders wishes, it whirled about, snapping and growling at the mental intrusion. And opened itself up to Marianne's attack.

She had little in the way of physical strength, but she'd learned how to use her magic to enhance her below-average might. On top of that, her weapon of choice was of the mystic variety. Lastly, there was her Crest. The Crest of the Beast briefly blazed behind her as she hurled the magic spear, the weapon leaving a trail of frost in its wake as it soared like an arrow.

Bone-chilling steel rammed through harden draconic scales, icy energy exploding from the tip and spreading through the wyvern's body. The spear tip flashed a bright blue seconds before a larger blade of ice shot forward from within the creature's flesh. Its rider was caught unaware as a spear made of ice punched through the wyvern's back and impaled him through the chest. His deaths gasps mixed with the wyvern's as they plummeted toward the ground, crashing like a mighty boulder.

"I-I…I did it, I-I really did it." Whispered the Alliance noble in a breathless voice. Somewhere inside, she expected to fail, for her throw to fall short or the wound to be little more than a scratch. Instead, it'd hit home potentially taking out.

_Boom! _

Her train of thought was broken as the icy mountain atop which she stood shattered. Her footing was lost leaving her falling to the ground, arms helpless flailing about as panic seized her heart. The panic grew as she saw by pure chance a figure approaching her, and it wasn't happy.

"You bitch!" Shouted the warlock, his hand shouting out and grabbing her by the throat. Marianne guessed him to be Auben Béraud, a former sorcerer of the Kingdom of Faerghus turned outlaw and slave trader. She supposed it was atypical of her luck that he would find his way to her. "You little bitch…you're one of those brats from the Officers Academy at the Monastery." He snarled. The fear in Marianne's eyes only caused the man's anger to soar. Raising her up, he hurled her across the air with all of his might.

Marianne felt her entire body scream as she hit the dirt, rolling along the wet grassy ground until she lost her momentum and came to a stop. She tasted blood in her mouth and saw it on the grass in front of her as she tried to push herself up.

"You have a Crest, that makes you worth a few marks than the rest of the vermin we were transporting, hell, maybe all of them put together." Came the voice of the rogue sorcerer. One hand was out and glowing with a magic circle. Twisted malice cackled in his eyes as he leered at the frightened priest. "I'll take you in alive, broken, but alive."

Through sheer willpower, Marianne pushed herself up and away, her arms covering her as a burst of fire shot up from where she'd been lying. Throwing her left arm out, she put up a magic barrier that protected her from the ensuing barrage of fiery attacks from the warlock. A larger one came causing her to stumble back, but she quickly regained her footing and attempted to hit back with a few bursts of light magic. As she had done, Auben raised a barrier deflecting the attacks. He looked less than amused at the attempt to fight back.

"Since you seem intent on playing the heroine…how's about going all the way?" Sneered the sorcerer snapping his fingers.

Ripping through the battlefield was a bestial roar that was enough to send a cold sweat down the spines of anyone who heard it. The ground trembled, Marianne trembled, as a looming figure bounded toward her.

"N-N-No…t-t-that's a…that's a…" She stammered, her heart sinking into the black pit of despair as she became the target of a pair of murderous red eyes.

The chimera was practically flying at her, its tiger-like jaws bloody and stretched open, ready to fist upon her flesh. At the rear, the serpentine tail snapped and hissed, would a bite from its venom be preferable to getting torn apart by the lion's jaws or the goat head's maws? Marianne would find out in seconds.

_F-Finally…I'm finally going to-_

"_Marianne!" _

Swerving to her right, she saw the black and blue blur coming at her. A set of sky-blue eyes found her frightened brown orbs. The next thing she knew she was moving through the air, and then rolling along the ground, except this time there was someone else with her. Her heart beat accelerated as she stared into the eyes of the Prince of Faerghus.

"Marianne, Marianne, are you alright?" He asked her, worry lacing his face. Dumbfounded, the bun-haired girl could only nod her head. Dimitri sighed in relief, then his face broke into a distressed frown as he looked up. Marianne looked up with him and saw the chimera was now stalking toward them. It was now hungry for both of their blood.

"Ah, the late king's heir and the regent's soon-to-be successor. Now this is something!" Barked the warlock from his stationary position. Even as the battle raged around him, he seemed intent on letting his "pet" do the job of fighting for him. "Surrender and I'll see about ransoming you back to your idiot uncle and you'll get to live."

Dimitri stood up, his silver lance held tightly in his right hand while the other was stretched out over Marianne. "If anyone should be considering surrender, it's you. Do so and you may live the rest of your life in cell to rot."

Again, Auben sneered and snapped his fingers. The chimera roared, from its feline jaws came a burst of flames that would have burnt the pair of students alive if they hadn't jumped away in time, or rather, Dimitri grabbed Marianne and jumped away with her in tow. They continued to run as the fusion monster pelted the field with fireballs that failed to hit their target causing the beast to grow more and more frustrated. That lead to a charge attack that put the beast on a collision course with the two students.

"Stand behind me, I promise I will protect you, Marianne." Proclaimed the blond, his voice calm and his stance steady as he showed no fear of the approaching monster. Again, Marianne could only dumbfoundedly stare at him.

His lance was raised high as if he planned on hurling it like a javelin. A second later and that's exactly what he ended up doing; the weapon became a giant silver arrow as it hurled through the air. A sickening crunch sounded as it penetrated the chimera's lion jaw, a strangled gurgling following suit as the monster struggled with the polearm now lodged in its mouth. Even so, the serpentine tail remained active, spitting out bursts of acid at the oncoming teenager. As with the fireballs, none of them hit their mark.

Something that the beast tamer was quite aware of. His cold red eyes moved from the prince to the paralyzed girl he'd sworn to protect. A cold smile stretched along his face as he pointed a single finger toward said girl.

The snake head changed targets, something that Dimitri and Marianne realized in a heartbeat. The former immediately broke off ran to intercept the attack. In his hands was a silver sword he swung with maniac speed, firing off bursts of pure air pressure to counteract the poisonous blasts. He was caught off-guard by the sudden fireball that flew alongside the poison blasts. Marianne cried out in alarm as the blond stumbled backward, his left arm burning.

"Now, like I said, get on your knees and-" Auben's gloating was cut short as he sensed a literal tidal wave of murderous intent aimed solely at him. Spinning around, he saw the charging figure of Dedue, face bent in silent rage and his axe pulled back and ready to cleave into him. In seconds, the Duscur native was on him, slashing at him forcing Auben onto the defensive. It provided the distraction that Dimitri needed.

Ignoring the slight burns on his left arm, the blond sprinted forward, his sword held at the ready. Marianne watched him, her heart feeling like it was about to explode. Fear still had an iron grip around her, but she was fighting it, fighting it even though a part of her believed death was what she deserved.

"D-Dimitri! M-Move to the side!" She screamed, flinging her right arm out. A burst of icy air flew from her finger tips. Her aim wasn't what it was before, but it impacted the chimera in the frontal face temporarily dazing it. She watched as Dimitri used that opportunity to leap at the beast. His right arm held the sword in a reverse grip, driving it point deep into the goat head at the top of the beast's head. His other hand masterfully grabbed at the snapping snake hand, holding it in place.

In spite of the creature's bloodthirsty nature, Marianne felt pity for the chimera as its snake head was ruthlessly snapped. The formerly flailing snake head went limp; his now free left hand darted to one of the goat horns, ripping the tip off then using it as a makeshift dagger. Hearing the sound of flesh tearing, she looked back over to her left and saw Dedue rearing his axe back, then hurling it with precision directly into the chimera's side. At his feet lay the bleeding body of the warlock.

Gradually, the sounds of battle died down, and with it the life force of the chimera. Marianne saw the twisted flame of life within the monster flicker and then die out. Its body went slump just as its master's. They were perhaps the last casualties of the battle, now seemingly at its conclusion.

"Your Highness," Dedue called jogging up to the now dead monster. "Are you hurt?"

"Only a minor burn, nothing that can't be healed up in a moment." Replied the prince. Sheathing his sword, he looked back to the still paralyzed Marianne. Walking over to her, he kneeled down so they were on eye-level. "Marianne? Are you alright? Did you get hit anywhere?"

By the acid or fire? No, she'd survived all of those…but at Dimitri's expense. Her gaze swiftly moved to his left hand, the metallic gauntlet and black sleeve burnt revealing first degree burns beneath. Burns that were her fault. Marianne could feel tears gathering in her eyes and the familiar cold hand gripping her hand.

"Marianne," Came the prince's voice, stopping her from completely falling into the abyss. She nearly jumped as the young man reached forward and took hold of her hands. "Are you alright?"

Rays of sunlight finally drove away the last of the mist. A slight cheer went up amongst the knights and the academy students, clearly victorious. Marianne was only vaguely aware of that though, her attention was focused solely on the boy in front of her. The feel of his hands clenching her trembling, sweaty palms had utterly captivated her. He was the anchor holding her down, keeping her steady against the waves of despair that always swept her away into the open water. How had such a thing happened? What had she done to deserve this mercy? How long before it turned sour? Marianne had all of those questions swirling in the back of her head…but they weren't weighing her down like they usually were. Something, someone was uplifting her, giving her a reason to look up.

What she saw light.

* * *

**The action adventure writer in me just couldn't resist with the last portion of this chapter. I enjoy writing fantastical fight scenes and one seemed like a good set up for this story's version of Dimitri and Marianne's first support conversation, along with exploring some headcanon ideas like the sorts of missions the houses undertake and some of the personal feelings involved in them. It was fun, but so was writing the talk between Marianne and Ashe and writing the former interacting with Hilda. The girl definitely grew on me during my playthroughs. **

**In terms of character development, I'd say at this point Marianne is still struggling with her self-confidence and self-loathing, yet her growing sense of morality is pushing her forward. The girls is probably one of the nicest characters in the entire cast, yet she's held back by her fears and insecurities. As she interacts with others and is forced into more situations, she's going to grow out of this. As this chapter was rather light on Marianne/Dimitri interaction, next chapter is going to be full of it as they're going to have some things to talk about on the trip back to Garreg Mach. Look forward to it, and until then, good look and stay safe, everyone! **


End file.
